Small paper box (a) with hinged lid, covered in white and blue paper with blue print; the title and the product and manufacturing information are printed on top of the lid; inside the box are seven paper capsules (b-h) with white paper and blue print; inside the capsules is white cotton, which prot…
Small paper box (a) with hinged lid, covered in white and blue paper with blue print; the title and the product and manufacturing information are printed on top of the lid; inside the box are seven paper capsules (b-h) with white paper and blue print; inside the capsules is white cotton, which protects the glass ampoule inside.
Number Of Parts
8
Part Names
a - box - Length: 5.9 cm X Width: 5.8 cm X Height: 2.0 cm
b-h - ampoule packages - Length: 5.4 cm X Diameter: 0.9 cm
Provenance
Received from anonymous donor via Kingston General Hospital Public Affairs.
Presence of Winnipeg on label, first location in Winnipeg opened in 1927; presence of Ingram & Bell logo discontinued in late 1960s (at least up to 1968)
Material
paper: tan
ink: white, blue
cotton: white
glass: [not visible]
Inscriptions
Printed on top of the box (a): "12 Crushable Glass Ampoules 12 // AROMATIC // SPIRIT of AMMONIA // B.P. '48 // Each capsule contains 5 minims. // Directions: Bend tube to snap the glass // ampoule contained therein and inhale // the vapour. // INGRAM & BELL, LIMITED // Toronto 950709 // Montreal - Winnipeg - Calgary - Vancouver"; printed on ampoule cases (b-h): "AROMATIC SPIRIT OF AMMONIA // CRUSH CAPSULE AND INHALE // INGRAM & BELL LIMITED, // TORONTO. // MONTREAL · WINNIPEG · CALGARY · VANCOUVER // IB [in logo]".
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-A3-4 Row F
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Box torn at corners, fixed with hinging tissue.
Copy Type
original
Reference Types
Catalogue, websites
Reference Comments
"The British Pharmacopoeia" 1914, London, pg. 355, from the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.221394/page/n389
“Aromatic Ammonia – Inhalation.” MedicineNet, 2019. Accessed 19 June 2019.
Ingram & Bell Limited. Pharmaceutical Catalogue, 1964.
MDS Inc. “Mds Inc. Annual Information Form for the Year Ended October 31, 2002.” MDS Inc., 2003.
“Cardinal Health Canada Inc.” Canadian Business Resource, Canadian Newspaper Services International Limited, 2019. Accessed 7 August 2019.
Research Facts
In the Ingram and Bell Limited catalogue for 1964, Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia is listed as "a restorative in cases of fainting and collapse, which stimulates respiration, accelerates the heart and raises the blood pressure."
In the British Pharmacopoeia for 1914, the ingredients listed for Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia are: Ammonium Carbonate, Strong Solution of Ammonia, Oil of Nutmeg, Oil of Lemon, Alcohol (90 per cent.), and Distilled Water.
Aromatic ammonia is used to prevent and treat fainting and aid in overcoming the effects of anesthesia by encouraging the body to breathe; ammonia can be taken orally in solution with water or placed on a fabric rag and inhaled; large doses or prolonged exposure to ammonia is harmful.
Ingram & Bell Limited was a medical supply company first established in Toronto in 1905; the company became a Canadian leader in the distribution of medical products; their wide selection included equipment, surgical tools, and pharmaceuticals; as the company grew, they established branches in Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver; became Ingram & Bell Inc. and 49% owned by MDS in 1986; MDS acquired 100% in 1993; became Source Medical Corporation after merger with Allegiance Healthcare Canada Inc. in 1997; acquired by Cardinal Health Canada Inc. in 2005.