Widnes Laboratory

The Widnes Laboratory was a research institute in northern Cheshire, run by Imperial Chemical Industries.

Widnes Laboratory
ICI General Chemicals Widnes Research Laboratory
Location within Cheshire
Former names	ICI Widnes
General information
Type	Chemical Research Centre
Address	Widnes
Coordinates	53°21′29″N 2°44′17″W
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Completed	1891
Client	ICI
Owner	ICI

History

The blue plaque for the laboratory

The site opened in 1891 as the Central Laboratory.

On Monday 7 August 1950, an explosion at the site killed one man and injured another.

Discovery of halothane

Work was carried out at Widnes Laboratory from 1951 to 1956 which led to the discovery of halothane in 1955. Halothane gas was the most common anaesthetic for many years.

There had been deaths with halothane and liver damage, and was discontinued from the 1980s. Anaesthetic deployment in hospitals is mostly with intravenous compounds and then isoflurane gas, discovered by Ross Terrell in the US.

Structure

The site was demolished, and now lies under the A533.

See also

• Winnington Laboratory, also ICI

External links

• Imperial War Museum