The Remains of the Day

The house I grew up in was a 1950s brick rancher; large, comfortable and typical of the day. The interior furnishings were mostly modern, but with some antiques that my parents acquired over the years. It was nice, and my home, but ordinary. My paternal grandparents' home was just the opposite; built in 1920, it was a grandly constructed two story craftsman, with the finest mill work and almost completely furnished in very old antiques, with an abundance of curiosities scattered throughout. There were things now rarely seen, like a stereoscope that magically made two faded images into a 3D look into the past, or pictures of relatives long dead, or exotic furniture from all over. Mixed among these various curiosities were some unique mechanical devices, some faded newspaper clippings bound in an album, and some old pictures that one could tell were different, somehow more special. These artifacts from an earlier age were left behind by the Great Professor Poe.

I was not prohibited from playing with these devices as a young child. I pumped the handles of Poe’s “Pulmotor” like it was a toy. Little did I know that these cylinders I pumped have saved lives, and resuscitated a pet rabbit sacrificed over and over for the good of science. I read the newspaper clippings, and got a sense of the great inventor. Then at some point, it hit me. The boy in the pictures was my grandfather as a child himself. He was there; he was part of it. It was at that point, probably when I was about seven years old, that I posed the question: “Granddaddy, tell me about Professor Poe”. He then, over the next months and years, told me the story. The stale, cold objects “came to life”, and history did as well.

What I learned of Poe in the 1960s of my childhood and into my teen years was colored by my worldview, the culture of the day, and my admiration of my grandfather. He admired Poe more than probably anyone else. All of my grandfather’s later successes in life were at least partially due to Poe’s tutelage, and the opportunities presented by the fame that came along with their new scientific breakthroughs. Poe wasn’t perfect; he was entirely focused on his work to the exclusion of almost everything else. He basically abandoned his family, and lived with mine. He could be gruff, and exacting, and his relentless pursuit of perfection made him a terrible businessman. He made millions, and lost most of it. He proudly wore a Confederate medal throughout his life, a behavior that today would be frowned upon at best. He wanted Confederate honors at his funeral, and got it. It was a different time, and the world looked at many things differently.

So, while not a complete paragon of virtue, he was basically a good man at heart. He wanted more than anything to save lives, and to prevent what was then a real horror to many, premature burial. He arguably did more for healthcare in that time frame than any other single individual. His start in healthcare was chemical powders and other contrivances to cure various ailments. From these early attempts, along with diligent study of new scientific advances, he learned where his place in the scientific realm was. He created the process for Nitrous Oxide liquefaction and delivery; he invented the first process to manufacture Nitrous Oxide from waste products. He designed and built the first oxygen generator, the first self-contained breathing apparatus, and of course, his jewel-in-the-crown, the first practical artificial respiration device, the “Pulmotor”. He traveled and exhibited his work, and others learned; science advanced because of him, and we are all better off today because he lived and worked and mentored. He saved lives, alleviated pain, and inspired others to excel along the way

What remains of Poe’s personal effects today is very little. While there are many online references and facsimiles of his inventions. Only a few artifacts remain intact today. The picture above depicts some of Poe’s personal effects in a grouping. His pediatric Pulmotor and a box of one of his early inventions flank his medical kit from the Civil War. These sit inside one of Poe’s sundry cabinets from his lab. The original prototype Pulmotor is depicted below. It and the pediatric device are still functional. Poe and my grandfather did good work. Other than these items, few original personal property of George Poe remains. A few letters, a Confederate Ten Dollar Bill, some faded portraits and notes. Poe kept a journal, which has been lost to time. I wish I could have read it. Regardless, I am privileged to maintain these as part of my family’s history, and of that of the Poe family.

So, while little tangible remains of Poe’s life are extant, his legacy lives on every day in the countless lives saved and the scientific endeavor he sparked that followed him. For this author and scientist, the legacy goes deeper than that. It was on my grandfather’s knee that I was first inspired to pursue science as a career, and his stories made it real to me that with some hard work and some luck, anyone can be famous and change the world. Childhood play with some old artifacts made science come alive for me. I wonder what small child today is inspired by something their grandparent, parent, relative or friend showed them that sparked the desire to learn. Each of us can be that spark. I only hope I can be to someone what Granddaddy and George Poe were to me. Hats off, gentlemen, well done.

Author's Post Script to a series on the "History of Artificial Respiration"