Medimorph anesthesia apparatus.

Sir,

I enjoyed Sekhar's philatelic history of anesthesiology.[1] Dr. Sekhar asserts that Henry Boyle “developed the earliest continuous flow anesthetic machines” and “Anesthetic machines all over the world are still designed with controls and switches meant for left-handed use that Boyle was.”

In 1903, Draeger manufactured the world's first commercially successful (<3000 machines sold before the First World War) continuous flow anesthetic machine, the Draeger-Roth apparatus, 14 years before Boyle.[2] The East German stamp of 1975 shows a workstation of the “Medimorph” anesthesia system (VEB MLW Medizintechnik, Leipzig, German Democratic Republic).[3] Its quality was recognized over the Warsaw Pact.[4] Like most non-British apparatus, it is standing on the right side of the anesthesiologist allowing the use of the controls and charting with the right hand. The “Medimorph” deserved its name: The modular system could “morph” flexibly to user's needs. Even a version for pre-hospital (trauma) care was standard issue on the Barkas ambulance SMH 3 mobile intensive care units. The machine depicted on the stamp shows:

The circle system “Kreisteilsystem 41305” with its two carbon dioxide absorber chambers,

The halothane vaporizer “Halothanverdunster 41016,”

The rotameter unit “Flowmeterblock 41303” - The protruding knobs were easily turned by accident.

On top the anesthesia ventilator “Univent 100” with the pressure monitor “Uni-warn 100” (small box to the right of the ventilator).