The development of the medical IV bag as we know it today came about in the 20th century. The invention of plastic in the early 1900s played a significant role in the evolution of IV systems. The flexibility and durability of plastic made it an ideal material for a new kind of IV container.

The IV bag was a game-changer. It was lightweight, easy to use, and, importantly, disposable, reducing the risk of infection from reused equipment. The shift from glass bottles to plastic bags also made IV therapy safer, as there was no longer a risk of glass shattering and causing injury.

Back in the day, well before the invention of the medical IV bag, administering medication or hydration to patients was a pretty challenging task. Intravenous therapy wasn't even a concept until the late 17th century when an English physician, Sir Christopher Wren, came up with a rudimentary infusion system using a hollowed-out quill and a pig's bladder.

Though it wasn't pretty, it was revolutionary. However, it took a couple more centuries and the chaos of the First World War for the first practical intravenous infusion systems to be developed. These early devices, which were made of glass, were cumbersome and challenging to use, but they were a massive step forward in medical treatment.