The Edison’s of Australia

They were called the “Edisons of Australia” and yet wildly unknown. Who were so important to receive this admiring nickname and what did they have to do with medical history? Continue reading to find out.

Brothers Edward Thomas and Donald James Ross BOTH were born in Caltowie, South Australia to parents James Alexander Both and Lucy (nee Thomas) Edward in 1908 and Donald in 1919. Growing up in a small country town Edward (also known as Ted or E.T) excelled at physics so much so that he left Caltowie and moved to Adelaide to take up a position in the Physics Department at the University of Adelaide.

Physics Department with Prof. Kerr Grant (Centre with moustache, Ca 1918)

Ted became an assistant to Professor Kerr Grant who had seen such talent in the young man from the country.  In 1932 Ted built a machine that could read a hearts impulses. This machine is the electrocardiograph (ECT). (Read more about the Both ECG in an upcoming blog).

Professor Grant could see the potential in Both and his abilities that he financed him with a small medical equipment making factory. This factory was two rooms of the old Police Barracks that were adjacent to the University’s physics department. With the factory fully equipped Ted invited his brother Don to join him. Don was trained by his bother and soon they began to design many products for the medical profession.

This was the beginning of Both Equipment Limited.

In 1937 a Polio epidemic broke out in South Australia and the State Government approached the brothers to see if they could produce breathing machines to help patients who were dying of respiratory paralysis. An expensive and elaborate machine had been built for a millionaire to assist in his breathing. This was not an option for hospitals as it was too expensive to produce and too cumbersome. So the Boths working both day and night designed and a simple, inexpensive respirator. Made out of timber units were able to be made at a fast rate and distributed to patients in need. Known as a Both Iron Lung they were mass produced here in South Australia.

During the war the company also designed and produced several machines that assisted in the testing of armaments. Among these was the electronic gun barrel bore measuring devises and the flaw and crack detector. Also during the war fuel was in short supply so the Boths designed electric vehicles so that essential deliveries of bread, milk etc could continue. The vehicles were battery operated capable of speeds of up to 25m.p.h. This technology was advanced for the time and electric vehicles (EV’s) are common place on our roads today.

The armed forces were having difficulty in keeping up supply of uniforms to the troops and the Army approached Boths. They came up with a Cloth Cutting Machine which could cut out over 100 garments per day. These machines helped clothe many military personnel over the coming years.

Both Cloth Cutting Machine

While Ted was in Sydney in 1947 he decided to start a branch of Both Equipment Limited in New South Wales. Don stayed in South Australia to run the Adelaide factory which would continue to produce medical equipment. It was during this time that the pen recorders were designed in the Adelaide factory. They were used for recording data from movement, activity, stresses, voltages and currents which were written onto moving charts.

With an interest in sport they also designed the electronic scoreboard for the Davis Cup held in Adelaide in 1952. It was so successful that they were asked to produce scoreboards for the Melbourne Olympics (1956), Perth Commonwealth Games (1962) and many other sporting events.

In 1953 following Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to South Australia the people of South Australia raised funds to commemorate the visit by donating Humid Cribs to hospitals. Don designed a crib and his application was submitted to the Gift Committee along with many overseas submissions. His design was accepted and Boths produced over 150 Humid Cribs for South Australian Hospitals. Following this he designed two more cribs in conjunction with the Commonwealth Industrial Gases Pty Ltd. The first was called the Insul-cot. The second was called a Port-O-Cot. Like the name suggests it was a portable unit for use in ambulances. Both units were sold throughout Australia and internationally.

By 1966 the company had grown so much that the brothers decided that the future expansion of the business was beyond the two of them and they decided to merge with a larger company – Drug Houses of Australia Limited. Over the next few years Ted acted as a Design Engineer in Sydney and Don had the same position in Adelaide.

Edward was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1941 for his work and was also offered a knighthood but turned it down. Unlike his brother Don was not given the same admiration and accolades. Prior to his death there were articles published pleading for recognition of his achievements.

With such an incredible story and career its hard to tell it all in one blog, so please read more about these amazing brothers and their inventions in upcoming blogs and histories.

Don with his Port-O-Cot

Written by Kellie Branson, CALHN Health Museum