Charles Hederer and his pulmoventilateur

SummaryVarious methods of artificial respiration using manual chest compressions with or without movement of the arms were first proposed by Leroy d’Etiolles in 1827 and introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. External manual methods generating a forced expiration were preferred until Safar reintroduced mouth-to-mouth ventilation in 1958 [Baskett PJF. Resuscitation Great. Peter J Safar, The Early Years 1924–1961, The Birth of CPR. Resuscitation 2001;50:17–22]. This article focuses on one of the more elaborated mechanical devices: the ‘pulmoventilateur’ of Professor Charles Hederer [Hederer Ch. Dossier personnel CC7 4e MOD 2178 dossier 3 au CEHD, chateau de Vincennes, BP 153; Hederer Ch. La respiration artificielle. Bruxelles-Médical 1934:1362–9].