Feldsterilisergerät
This design has been used in the German Army from at least 1904 and is used to steam/boiling water sterilize both instruments and cloth items (drapes, gowns, bandages)
The bottom section is the burner and could be fuelled by petrol (as shown here), gas, coal, or wood. The next section is the instrument tank. The water is heated to boiling and the instruments are lowered in, either individually or in the perforated trays. The upper compartment contains the cloth items and uses steam (low pressure) for sterilization.
The bag on the stand in the picture above allows bandages and dressings to be separated and collected after sterilization. A full tray of instruments from the Hauptbesteck took around 15 minutes to be sterilized.
An essential part of any field operating theatre, it took great logistical skill to anticipate the surgeon’s requirements maintain the constant use, cleaning and re-sterilization of instruments.