A Serious Position

Mr Edwin Steere the superintendent at the Gasworks, has for some days past been engaged with a workman in blocking up an escape of gas at the northern entrance to the church. He was found lying in the hole, which had been dug close to the gates in a state of insensibility, by the sexton (Mr William Bennett) on Saturday. Assistance having been procured, Mr Steere was speedily extricated from his dangerous position and conveyed home. Though he failed to recover consciousness for upwards of an hour, he is now rapidly improving.

The Sussex Advertiser, 15 January 1871

Photo (colourised): British Medical Services in the Second World War: Anaesthetists carrying out experiments using an improvised piece of apparatus to see whether it was possible to administer a general anaesthetic while the patient was wearing a gas mask. It was feared in the early days of the desert campaign that the Italians would use poison gas. Wikimedia Public domain image taken 18 October 1942.

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.