I recognized that machine right away! It is actually a machine that measures respiratory pressures. The hose on the right was the part you exhale into, and the canisters were usually nested inside of on another and would be displaced whan you breathed. I can't find any links for this type of equipment b/c it's kind of old, but I am almost sure that's what it is.
TT NYC
*shudder
Location: Worcester State Hospital Gallery: Silent Creatures