Sir Hiram Maxim's 'Pipe of Peace', London, England, 1909-1910
Hiram Maxim (1840-1916) is best known for the invention of the automatic machine gun. However, he also developed this inhaler, known as the ‘Pipe of Peace’. It was used to treat throat and chest problems such as bronchitis. Soothing vapours from water warmed with a few drops of 'Dirigo', made from Maxim’s own recipe, could be delivered right to the back of the throat via a long, swan-necked glass tube. In this set, the drug is made by John Morgan Richards and Sons Ltd. As word of the effectiveness of Maxim’s invention spread, demand grew and eventually hundreds of thousands were sold in the early 1900s.
Object number:
1981-982/1
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: inhaler
A device for breathing in a drug in order to deliver it to the airways or lungs.
Glossary: bronchitis
Inflammation of one or more bronchi (one of the larger air passages in the lungs), usually a result of infection. It is characterized by intense coughing.