You will only have been in it for weeks at one time! That must have been terrible, lying in this iron tunnel for weeks! In the hospital where we were today, a real old iron lung was on display. How impressive, that people really have been in there, of course to get better, but still!

The Iron Lung

The iron lung reminds us of the time of the polio epidemic, when there was no vaccine against polio. Fortunately, there is now! Below you can see pictures of an iron lung.

This machine originally existed as the “Drinking respirator”. Named after Philip Drinker, who developed the iron lung in 1928 with Charles McKhann. In that year, they published the first studies on the use of the iron lung in patients with paralytic polio at the Bostoen Children hospital. Later, an improved version was introduced, which allowed the patient to be cared for through holes in the side, without loss of pressure.

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