A nurse attending to a patient in an iron lung, Central Middlesex County Hospital, Brent, Greater London
The caption on the reverse of the photograph read: “Infantile paralysis in an iron lung. Picture shows Jean Mary Ashworth, aged 15, who suffering from anterior polioencephalitis, was placed in a Both respirator cabinet.” Polioencephalitis is a viral infection of the brain which cause muscle weakness or paralysis. This means patients are often unable to breathe by themselves and could die. The Both respirator, a negative pressure ventilator, was invented by Edward Both in 1937. It was cheaper than alternative models of the iron lung, and could be constructed and transported with more ease. Iron lungs or respirators enabled patients to breathe when muscle control had been lost or when breathing exceeded their ability. They were vital to keep patients alive.
