An endotracheal tube (also called an ET tube or ETT) is used in anaesthesia, intensive care and emergency medicine for airway management and mechanical ventilation. The tube is inserted into a patient's trachea in order to ensure that the airway is not closed off and that air is able to reach the lungs. The endotracheal tube is regarded as the most reliable available method for protecting a patient's airway. Inventor Sir Ivan Whiteside Magill (1888-1986) was an Irish born anaesthetist who is famous for his involvement in much of the innovation and development in modern anaesthesia. Originally a general practitioner, he accepted a post at the Queen's Hospital, Sidcup in 1919 as an anaesthetist. The hospital had been established for the treatment of facial injuries sustained in the World War I. Working with plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, he was responsible for the development of numerous it