Yankauer Masks
The masks pictured from left to right are a Yankauer Mask, a Yankauer-Gwathmey Mask, and a modified Yankauer-Gwathmey mask. Sidney Yankauer, M.D. (1872-1932), an ear, nose and throat specialist and pioneer in bronchoscopy, practiced at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Yankauer might best be known for the tube he designed for suctioning the mouth and throat. Yankauer introduced the wire-mesh anesthesia mask around 1904.
James Tayloe Gwathmey, M.D. (1862-1944) was one of the first physicians to have a full-time private anesthesia practice in the United States. By 1914, he modified the Yankauer Mask to administer oxygen with the anesthetic. Oxygen tubing attached to the port at the narrow end of the mask, and oxygen exited through the small holes around the rim. This design was a continuation of his earlier Folding Vapor Mask. The Yankauer-Gwathmey mask was very popular in the U.S. for the drop method of anesthesia. The drop method involved placing the mask over the patient’s nose and mouth, and then placing gauze over the mesh of the mask. Next, liquid anesthetic, such as ether or chloroform, was applied in drops or lightly poured onto the gauze so that the patient breathed in evaporated anesthetic as well as air.
The Yankauer Mask was donated to the WLM by Dr. Raphael Achecar.
Catalog Record: Yankauer Masks
Three Catalog Records (aikv, aiku, aikt):
Access Key: aikv
Accession No.: 2010-02-15-1 A
Title: [Yankauer mask / designed by Sidney Yankauer.]
Author: Yankauer, Sidney, 1872-1932.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauerís mask.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauer wire-mesh ether mask.
Publisher: [S.l. : s.n., 1904-1950.]
Physical Description: 1 oronasal mask : nickel plated brass ; 15 x 8 x 5 cm.
Subject: Masks, Anesthesia – wire frame.
Subject: Anesthesia, Inhalation.
Subject: Chloroform.
Subject: Ether, Ethyl.
Note Type: General
Notes: Title from the WLM name for the artifact.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Bateman BT, Alston TA. Commonly used eponyms in anesthesia. J Clin Anesth.
2009;21(1):67-71.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Vandenberg JT, Vinson DR. The inadequacies of contemporary oropharyngeal
suction. Am J Emerg Med. 1999;17(6):611-613.
Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: Ovoid, wire-framed, oronasal mask; Distal side of the mask is composed of a
fine wire mesh, and is curved away from the face to accommodate the nose and
mouth; The nasal end of a tear-drop shaped, spiral, coil spring collar
terminates at a short looped handle; The spiral collar is removable and, when
positioned to secure lint or gauze over the wire mesh, is held in place by a
groove that runs around the rim; The only handle is on the spiral collar.
Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. William Lyle, 7/14/2010; Photographed with two
Yankauer-Gwathmey masks; The Yankauer mask described in this record is on the
left.
Note Type: Acquisition
Notes: Donated to the WLM by Dr. Raphael Achecar, 2/15/2010.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: Sidney Yankauer, M.D. (1872-1932), an ear, nose and throat specialist and
pioneer in bronchoscopy, practiced at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Dr. Yankauer might best be known for the suction tip he designed. Yankauer
introduced the wire-mesh anesthesia mask in 1904.
Access Key: aiku
Accession No.: 2010-07-14-8
Title: [Yankauer-Gwathmey mask.]
Author: Yankauer, Sidney, 1872-1932.
Author: Gwathmey, James Tayloe, 1862-1944.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauer-Gwathmey drop and vapor mask.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauer mask, Gwathmey modification.
Publisher: [West Chester, Pa.] : Sklar U.S.A., [1913-1950].
Physical Description: 1 oronasal mask : chrome? ; 15.5 x 7 x 6 cm.
Subject: Masks, Anesthesia – wire frame.
Subject: Anesthesia, Inhalation.
Subject: Ether, Ethyl.
Subject: Chloroform.
Note Type: Citation
Notes: Gwathmey JT, Baskerville C. Anesthesia. New York: D. Appleton, 1914.
Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: Tear drop-shaped, wire-framed, oronasal mask; The rim is hollow, or tubular
metal, with a valve for gas at the nasal end; Along the inner side of the rim
are regularly spaced holes; The distal side of the mask is composed of a fine
wire mesh, and is curved away from the face to accommodate the nose and
mouth; A single, molded wire loop is hinged to the frame just below the valve
and acts as a collar for holding the gauze cover (or other material) in
place; Frame and mesh with some oxidation.
Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. William Lyle, 7/14/2010; Photographed with a
Yankauer-Gwathmey type mask and a Yankauer mask; The mask described in this
record is in the middle; The Yankauer mask is on the left.
Note Type: Historical
Notes: James Tayloe Gwathmey, M.D. (1862-1944) was one of the first physicians to
have a full-time private anesthesia practice in the United States. He
modified the Yankauer mask to administer oxygen with the anesthetic. An image
of the mask is available in his 1914 text, Anesthesia. Yankauer-Gwathmey mask
was a very popular mask for the drop method of anesthesia in the United
States.
Access Key: aikt
Accession No.: 2010-07-14-9
Title: [Yankauer-Gwathmey-type mask.]
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauer-Gwathmey like mask.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Yankauer-Gwathmey type drop and vapor mask.
Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Modified Yankauer-Gwathmey mask.
Publisher: [S.l. : s.n., 1930-1970.]
Physical Description: 1 oronasal mask : chrome? ; 14 x 8.5 x 6 cm.
Subject: Masks, Anesthesia – wire frame.
Subject: Anesthesia, Inhalation.
Subject: Ether, Ethyl.
Subject: Chloroform.
Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: Ovoid, wire-framed oronasal mask with a high-walled, metal rim; The rim
measures approx. 3.5 cm at its highest point; Protruding from the nasal end
of the frame is a port for gas; Distal side of the mask is composed of a fine
wire mesh, and is curved away from the face to accommodate the nose and
mouth; A single, molded wire loop is hinged to the frame just below the gas
port and acts as a collar for holding the gauze cover (or other material) in
place.
Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed by Mr. William Lyle, 7/14/2010; Photographed with a
Yankauer-Gwathmey mask and a Yankauer mask; The mask described in this record
is on the right; The Yankauer mask is on the left.