DeVILBISS Atomizer in Medic Corps Box

Atomizer set for oils and aqueous solutions for the nose and throat, with instructions, in its box, manufactured by the DeVilbiss Company. Civilian model identical to the military model.

An atomizer is a device that allows the application of medication in the form of fine droplets. Dr. Allen De Vilbiss (1841-1917), an otolaryngologist in Toledo, Ohio, frequently administered medications into the nasal passages or throats of his patients. Dissatisfied with existing devices, he developed his first atomizer around 1887 and, over the years, improved it by adding various options to meet diverse needs. Dissolving cocaine, a local anesthetic, in an oil base to anesthetize and protect the nasal passages and throat was a common treatment in Dr. De Vilbiss's time. He therefore ensured that his atomizers could spray both liquids and heated semi-liquids. The De Vilbiss atomizer quickly became a popular medical device, and in 1890, the De Vilbiss Manufacturing Company opened a factory to produce them in large quantities. The atomizer shown here is designed for the administration of aerosolized medications.