Goldman Vaporizer
Mechanical vaporizers are built to convert liquid anesthetics into gaseous form, and to deliver them at the right concentrations for anesthesia. Halothane (Fluothane) is a man-made liquid anesthetic, introduced in the late 1950s. It was one of the first of non-explosive anesthetics, and it quickly became popular. But some early halothane vaporizers were modifications of existing ether vaporizers, which held a large quantity of liquid. These could deliver inappropriate concentrations of the new, more potent anesthetic.
Dr. Victor Goldman (b. 1903 – d. 1994) was an English physician who specialized in dental anesthesia, and advocated for improved safety measures. He introduced the first model of his small halothane vaporizer for dental use in 1956. His second model, seen here, was introduced in 1962. This allowed the administration of deeper anesthesia for procedures of longer duration. The “Mark II” remained small enough that it could not deliver a dangerously high concentration of the anesthetic.
Catalog Record: Goldman Vaporizer
Access Key: akdv
Accession No.: 2000-03-22-2
Title: Goldman halothane vaporizer / BOC [logo for the British Oxygen Co.].
Author: Goldman, Victor A. (Abraham), 1903-1993.
Corporate Author: British Oxygen Co. Ltd.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Goldman vaporizer.
Publisher: England : British Oxygen Co., [1962-1975].
Physical Descript: 1 vaporizer : metal, glass ; 15 x 8.5 x 12.5 cm.
Subject: Vaporizers.
Subject: Anesthesia, Inhalation – instrumentation.
Subject: Halothane.
Note Type: General
Notes: The early year (1962) in the date range for the possible year of manufacture
is based on the year that the modified version, mark II, was introduced. The
later year (1975) for the possible year of manufacture is based on the year
that British Oxygen Company ran a rebranding campaign, changing its name and
logo. This vaporizer has the logo that dates before 1975. The date range
could change if documentation indicates the range should be corrected.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Adeney M. Smith, Sir Leslie Edward George (1919–2006). Oxford Dictionary of
National Biography website. https://www.oxforddnb.com/templates/article.
jsp?articleid=97324&back=&version=2010-01#. Published January, 2010. Accessed September 18, 2013.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Goldman V. Anesthesia in the tropics. Anesth Analg. March, 1947;26(2 suppl
1):46-48.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Goldman V. Death in the dental chair. Med Sci Law. 1973 Jan;13(1):39-45.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Goldman V. The Goldman halothane vaporizer mark II. Anaesthesia. October,
1962;17(4):537-539.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Goldman V. Intravenous anaesthesia for the ambulant patient. S Afr Med J.
1968;42(4):74-79.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Enever G. The history of dental anaesthesia. In: Shaw I, Kumar C, Dodds C,
eds. Oxford Textbook of Anaesthesia for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2010:9.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Maltby. Goldman vaporizer, Goldman nasal mask: Victor Goldman (1903-1994).
In: Notable Names in Anaesthesia. London: Royal Society of Medicine:
2002:72-74.
Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: A metal and glass vaporizer; The glass container is about 6 cm in height and
5 cm in diameter at its widest point; The glass container three horizontal
lines of graduation marks; The uppermost line is marked as “30 ml.”; The
controls at the top can be set at graduations marks that include,”OFF”, “1”,
“2”, and “ON”; Manufacturer markings at the top of the vaporizer include,
“GOLDMAN”, The British Oxygen Company logo, “HALOTHANE”, “MADE IN ENGLAND”,
“VAPORIZER”.
Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. Steve Donisch on June 12, 2013.
Note Type: Acquisition
Notes: Donated to the WLM by J. Roger Maltby, FRCA.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: Dr. Victor Goldman (1903-1994) was a British anesthesiologist and a
recognized expert in dental anesthesia. He wrote on a wide range of topics,
including intravenous sedation, dental anesthesia for children, and patient
safety. Dr. Goldman designed a number of devices for administering anesthesia including a nasal mask with a removable head band, and the vaporizer described here.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: Three years after the 1956 introduction of halothane, Dr. Goldman designed
the first version of this vaporizer for the administration of the new gas
with nitrous oxide and oxygen for dental procedures. It was meant to produce
low concentrations of halothane for light anesthesia of short duration. Some
anesthesiologists wanted to use it to administer deeper anesthesia of longer
duration, and in 1962 he introduced modifications intended to meet that need, calling it the Goldman Halothane Vaporizer Mark II.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: In 1993, The London Eastman Dental Clinic, a hospital where Dr. Goldman had
long served, opened an ambulatory dental surgery service. It was named the
Victor Goldman Day Unit in honor of his contributions to dental anesthesia
and the hospital.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: In 1993, The London Eastman Dental Clinic, a hospital where Dr. Goldman had
long served, opened an ambulatory dental surgery service. It was named the
Victor Goldman Day Unit in honor of his contributions to dental anesthesia
and the hospital.
Note Type: Exhibition
Notes: Chosen for the WLM website (noted September 17, 2013).
