McKesson Dermalor

WLMD ID: arau

Anesthesiologists are responsible for monitoring the patient's temperature during surgery. Inhaled anesthetics can raise or lower the patient's core temperature, and regional anesthesia can cause changes in blood circulation. Changes in circulation can be diagnosed and monitored by using a device that registers skin temperature.

Founded in Toledo, Ohio, around 1910 by Elmer I. McKesson, M.D. (1881-1935), the McKesson Appliance Company continued in business for seven decades. After the death of Dr. McKesson in 1935, Mr. John L. Bloomheart worked as the company's principal designer. A patent for his "contact thermometer" was granted in 1940.

Well-regarded and widely used, the Dermalor was made from the 1940s through the 1960s. The applicator head was packed with platinum wire about three thousandths of an inch in diameter. It needed only five seconds of contact with the skin to produce readings, in both Fahrenheit and Centigrade, that were guaranteed to be over 90% accurate. It was powered by an ordinary flashlight battery. Made before 1956, the example shown here was owned by Francis Paul Ansbro, M.D. (1899-1977), who conducted several studies of regional anesthesia agents and techniques.

Catalog Record: McKesson Dermalor Contact [email protected] for catalog record.