Made by HI Clements & Son Engineers, Sydney, circa 1950s. Clements is one of the pioneers of the Australian motorvehicle industry. The automotive mechanical engineer started to design ad hoc ether apparati and portable suction machines for use in hospital operating theatres. The inscriptions on the jar date after World War II, when HI Clements was joined by his son and built premises in St Leonards to concentrate on the manufacture of scientific equipment

Suction devices or aspirators are needed in dentistry to remove blood, saliva and debris from the oral cavity to prevent choking or further infection. Suction machines are also used in hospital settings to clear secretions from trachea and oral cavities and maintain breathing. These jars would have been reservoirs for the suction system

Dimensions to come

Pick-up is Hobsonville Point, Auckland