Why is intitutional equipment always painted (if not stainless) the SCARIEST, SICKEST PASTEL colors in existance...I picture a bunch of patients having terror attacks at EASTER time...

Said it before and I'll say it again: There are some seedy clubs in SF and NY that would pay a fortune for the likes of this....

Guts and butts....Lovely.

They look amazingly intact. Scare the crap outta me. I'm sure to have "interesting dreams" tonight.

Nothing say Christmas to me like red and green iron lungs. (Sorry, couldn't resist). I saw an alligator model in England that opens like the proverbial alligator's jaws...It reminded me of a triumph TR7 for some reason: The color, the shape.

Sylon....scary...sounds like it impregnates the linens with Zyklon B (what the Nazi's used in gas chambers).... No more trouble some patients...More pate`, anyone?

I've seen these in pictures...used mainly for people who are basically immobile and cannot flip themselves out of it. It provides wonderful access. But I have to admit, weird hospital lavatory pieces really freak me out....

I think there are some seedier clubs in SanFrancisco and New York who would pay a great deal of money for something like this....

The most fascinating thing for a lay person like myself is trying to figure out what the frick things like this was used for.... It does look like torture

Excuse me while I scream uncontrollably, and scream, and scream, and scream some more. This thing looks like my second worst nightmare.

The image you are thinking of was from Cracked or Mad magazine: It was a spoof on the Cigarette coupons that used to be offered with packs: Save so many, and you could "buy" things: A jacket, luggage, etc.Anyway, this cartoon had a faux catalog with things like "Your very own personalized Iron lung" for 1,000,000 coupon points (cause at that point, you'll need it). The image shown in the "catalog" was almost exactly like that picture.
I remember it well: It started a scary fascination for me with Iron Lung machines.

Henry, the portholes were for handling the patient, yes, and turning him/her over to prevent bedsores? Or was this one of those on a pivot that tilted? I had an relation who was in one as a child due to polio....

Google Iron lung: The history of the device is amazing: It saved MANY lives (although the quality of life...) of people stricken with Polio. The modern ones are pretty ingenious. The old ones are pretty horrifying

That is not a bed for marital duties, and that is a fact.

That's just elegant...astonishing really