Cluny MacPherson

Cluny MacPherson was a Canadian physician and inventor who is credited with inventing the gas mask that was used to protect soldiers from chlorine gas attacks, a frequent and deadly hazard in the trenches. He was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, on March 18, 1879, to Campbell MacPherson and Emma Duder. He had a passion for science and poetry, and published his first poem at the age of 17. He graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto in 1901 and joined the Banting and Best Medical Research Institute, where he worked under Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin. MacPherson began his career in recreation in 1902, when he joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, which later became known as the Grenfell Mission. He ran the hospital in Battle Harbour, Labrador, until 1904, and also served as a special constable and justice of the peace. He later became a director of the Newfoundland and the International Grenfell Associations, and helped develop the Seamen's Institute in St. John's. He also started the first St. John Ambulance Brigade in Newfoundland, and organized an Ambulance Unit for the Newfoundland Regiment during World War I. ¹ MacPherson's most important invention was his gas mask, which he created in 1915, after witnessing the devastating effects of chlorine gas on the soldiers at the Second Battle of Ypres. He devised a simple but effective device that consisted of a cotton pad soaked in a chemical solution, which neutralized the gas and allowed the wearer to breathe. He also designed a metal helmet to protect the head and eyes. He patented his invention in 1916, and it was adopted by the British Army as the British Smoke Hood. He also invented other medical devices, such as the artificial larynx, the special purpose tape recorder, and the serial sound structure generator. ¹ MacPherson died of leukemia in Ottawa, Ontario, on November 16, 1966, at the age of 87. He was buried in Beechwood Cemetery. He is widely regarded as one of Canada's greatest physicians and inventors, and his name is commemorated in several awards, buildings, and monuments. He was inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and the International Space Hall of Fame. He was also posthumously awarded the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. ¹