Pneumatic Institution
Encyclopedia
The Pneumatic Institution (also referred to as Pneumatic Institute) was a medical research facility in Bristol
, England, in 1799–1802. It was established by physician and science writer Thomas Beddoes
to study the medical effects of the gases that had recently been discovered. Humphry Davy
headed the Institution's laboratory, examining the effects of laughing gas on himself and others, and James Watt
designed much of the lab's equipment.
in animal respiration, members of the Lunar Society
, such as Joseph Priestley
(who had co-discovered oxygen), originated pneumatic medicine, which eventually led to the establishment of the Pneumatic Institution.
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was unusually educated about Chemistry, visited Thomas Beddoes in his laboratory in Hope Square, Bristol, in December 1793. He had set it up earlier that year to study possible medical uses of the recently discovered gases. During her second, extended, visit, "the idea of replacing the existing outpatient facility with a hospital—a Medical Pneumatic Institution—was first formulated." In 1794, she tried to persuade Sir Joseph Banks, who was President of the Royal Society
of London at the time, to lend support to Beddoes' efforts. Sir Joseph refused, citing scientific objections in addition to his political concerns about Beddoes' sympathising with the French revolution
. Even a supporting request from Watt did not change Banks' mind.
area of Bristol where many sufferers from tuberculosis were gathered in the hope of a cure. By 1794 Beddoes had arranged for the manufacture of suitable apparatus by the firm of Boulton and Watt
and the first of the "pneumatic patients" was a Mr Knight of Painswick
, whom Beddoes treated with "unrespirable airs" for a deep-seated ulcer of the pelvis. By 5 March 1795 Beddoes was reporting successful treatment of paralytic patients and ordering an apparatus and oxygen for a Mr Gladwell in Clifton.
Between 1792 and 1798, Beddoes had collected and published many "case histories" sent to him by other sympathetic physicians, from many parts of the country, and principally concerning the inhalation of oxygen
and hydrogen
.
In November 1798, Beddoes rented two buildings at 6 and 7 Dowry Square
, in Hotwells, and in March 1799 the laboratory was moved into the smaller one and the Institution was publicly announced. Beddoes anticipated that scientific investigations and medical treatment would be carried out side by side.
contact with the skin, that it was indeed the very "principle of contagion".
Davy joined the Pneumatic Institution in 1798 as the laboratory operator, largely through the recommendation of Davies Giddy, and it was here that he undertook experiments that included himself inhaling nitrous oxide
, which he called laughing gas for its effects. Davy was to describe his work at the Institution in his Researches, chemical and philosophical, chiefly concerning nitrous oxide, or dephlogisticated nitrous air, and its respiration (London, Murray, 1800).
This and other gases were administered, without charge, to willing subjects, particularly those with diseases considered to be incurable at the time. Although the initial aim had been to treat patients with tuberculosis, most of the patients treated suffered from some form of paralysis.
In the last days of Jessie Watt's illness, on the advice of Erasmus Darwin
, Beddoes had been called in to administer his new respiritory treatment and, although lacking suitable apparatus, had arranged for the girl to breath "fixt air" (carbon dioxide
). The treatment, not surprisingly, had no beneficial effect and Watt's daughter had died.
Watt designed many of the apparatuses and techniques necessary to produce and administer various gases.
broke out in Bristol in 1800. Davy left in 1801 to join Sir Joseph at the Royal Institution
. The Bristol Pneumatic Institution closed down in 1802. Many of the techniques and tools developed by Watt for the Pneumatic Institution are still used in modern medicine.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, in 1799–1802. It was established by physician and science writer Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes
Thomas Beddoes , English physician and scientific writer, was born at Shifnal in Shropshire. He was a reforming practitioner and teacher of medicine, and an associate of leading scientific figures. Beddoes was a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and, according to E. S...
to study the medical effects of the gases that had recently been discovered. Humphry Davy
Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet FRS MRIA was a British chemist and inventor. He is probably best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine...
headed the Institution's laboratory, examining the effects of laughing gas on himself and others, and James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
designed much of the lab's equipment.
History
Preliminaries
After Lavoisier had established the role of oxygenOxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
in animal respiration, members of the Lunar Society
Lunar Society
The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 in Birmingham, England. At first called the Lunar Circle,...
, such as Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
(who had co-discovered oxygen), originated pneumatic medicine, which eventually led to the establishment of the Pneumatic Institution.
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was unusually educated about Chemistry, visited Thomas Beddoes in his laboratory in Hope Square, Bristol, in December 1793. He had set it up earlier that year to study possible medical uses of the recently discovered gases. During her second, extended, visit, "the idea of replacing the existing outpatient facility with a hospital—a Medical Pneumatic Institution—was first formulated." In 1794, she tried to persuade Sir Joseph Banks, who was President of the Royal Society
President of the Royal Society
The president of the Royal Society is the elected director of the Royal Society of London. After informal meetings at Gresham College, the Royal Society was founded officially on 15 July 1662 for the encouragement of ‘philosophical studies’, by a royal charter which nominated William Brouncker as...
of London at the time, to lend support to Beddoes' efforts. Sir Joseph refused, citing scientific objections in addition to his political concerns about Beddoes' sympathising with the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Even a supporting request from Watt did not change Banks' mind.
Establishment
Beddoes had moved from Oxford in 1793 and established himself as a physician. He moved near to the HotwellsHotwells
Hotwells is a district of the English port city of Bristol. It is located to the south of and below the high ground of Clifton, and directly to the north of the Floating Harbour. The southern entrance to the Avon Gorge, which connects those docks to the sea, lies at the western end of Hotwells. The...
area of Bristol where many sufferers from tuberculosis were gathered in the hope of a cure. By 1794 Beddoes had arranged for the manufacture of suitable apparatus by the firm of Boulton and Watt
Boulton and Watt
The firm of Boulton & Watt was initially a partnership between Matthew Boulton and James Watt.-The engine partnership:The partnership was formed in 1775 to exploit Watt's patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser. This made much more efficient use of its fuel than the older Newcomen engine...
and the first of the "pneumatic patients" was a Mr Knight of Painswick
Painswick
Painswick is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. Originally the town grew on the wool trade, but it is now best known for its parish church's yew trees and the local Rococo Garden. The town is mainly constructed of locally quarried Cotswold stone...
, whom Beddoes treated with "unrespirable airs" for a deep-seated ulcer of the pelvis. By 5 March 1795 Beddoes was reporting successful treatment of paralytic patients and ordering an apparatus and oxygen for a Mr Gladwell in Clifton.
Between 1792 and 1798, Beddoes had collected and published many "case histories" sent to him by other sympathetic physicians, from many parts of the country, and principally concerning the inhalation of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
and hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
.
In November 1798, Beddoes rented two buildings at 6 and 7 Dowry Square
Dowry Square
Dowry Square is in the Hotwells area of Bristol.It was laid out in 1727 by George Tully and building continued until 1750. The houses are three-storeyed with attics, simply detailed and with channelled pilasters to the party walls....
, in Hotwells, and in March 1799 the laboratory was moved into the smaller one and the Institution was publicly announced. Beddoes anticipated that scientific investigations and medical treatment would be carried out side by side.
Humphry Davy's experiments
In March 1798, the curiosity of Humphry Davy was aroused by dramatic statements made in Samuel Latham Mitchell's Remarks on the gaseous oxyd of nitrogen and its effects (1795) that nitrous oxide had disastrous effects whether inhaled or incontact with the skin, that it was indeed the very "principle of contagion".
Davy joined the Pneumatic Institution in 1798 as the laboratory operator, largely through the recommendation of Davies Giddy, and it was here that he undertook experiments that included himself inhaling nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
, which he called laughing gas for its effects. Davy was to describe his work at the Institution in his Researches, chemical and philosophical, chiefly concerning nitrous oxide, or dephlogisticated nitrous air, and its respiration (London, Murray, 1800).
This and other gases were administered, without charge, to willing subjects, particularly those with diseases considered to be incurable at the time. Although the initial aim had been to treat patients with tuberculosis, most of the patients treated suffered from some form of paralysis.
James Watt's involvement
James Watt supported the Institution because conventional methods had failed to help against his son's pulmonary tuberculosis (known as consumption at the time), which had previously claimed his daughter Jessie.In the last days of Jessie Watt's illness, on the advice of Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
, Beddoes had been called in to administer his new respiritory treatment and, although lacking suitable apparatus, had arranged for the girl to breath "fixt air" (carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
). The treatment, not surprisingly, had no beneficial effect and Watt's daughter had died.
Watt designed many of the apparatuses and techniques necessary to produce and administer various gases.
Disestablishment and legacy
The Pneumatic Institution was converted into a normal hospital when typhusTyphus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
broke out in Bristol in 1800. Davy left in 1801 to join Sir Joseph at the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
. The Bristol Pneumatic Institution closed down in 1802. Many of the techniques and tools developed by Watt for the Pneumatic Institution are still used in modern medicine.