A vintage Airmed Marrett military anaesthetic apparatus, featuring a portable stand with pressure valves to accommodate various canisters of the raw anaesthetic compounds and a detachable Marrett head, the head having an Airmed carry case with draws of related medical ephemera and equipment.

Private collection.

Designed in 1945 by Maj. Rex Marrett to replace the system used throughout the second world war, the machine was built specifically for use in the field and was in service until the mid 1970's.

This apparatus represented a leap forward in battlefield medicine that had remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century, it was the brainchild of Major Rex Marrett RAMC,
Marrett, who was born in 1915, had partly trained as an engineer before qualifying at St Bartholomew’Hospital in London in medicine in 1940.

He had a mechanical understanding of an engineer and had always had his own workshop and used to service his own motor vehicles.

In 1945, he was seconded from normal duties for nine months and, after twenty prototypes in hardwood, the first real metal prototype was made in
brass and copper. This machine incorporated the first Trilene (trichloroethylene) interlock ever made. It was patented, and a small firm, Airmed Ltd, who
made aircrew oxygen masks, was contracted by the War Office to make the machine10.
His name was placed on the Royal Commission list of awards for wartime inventors for which he received £450. He purchased a caravan with the
money.
Marrett first described the equipment's concept in 1948

Condition Report

The machine and case have been used professionally and display the wear associated.