E52 Iron Lung

In 1929, Philip Drinker invented a device for artificial respiration by mechanical means that was henceforth known as the “iron lung.” The patient was placed inside the machine, with just his head sticking out and a collar around the neck sealing the cylinder. Periodic changes in air pressure inside the chamber expanded and deflated the rib cage, enabling the lungs to inflate. The iron lung was very important during the polio epidemic in the early 1950s. In this most virulent form of poliomyelitis, the virus triggered an infection of those brain regions that regulate swallowing, breathing, and circulation. In such cases, the patient had to be temporarily provided with artificial respiration. The iron lung was the only machine available at the time that was capable of this, but is now hardly ever used. These days, patients requiring artificial respiration have air blown into their lungs by means of controlled positive pressure.