Anaesthetics

Question 1

What anesthetic was discovered in the late 18th century and by who?

Answer 1

Nitrous oxide was discovered to have anaesthetic properties in 1799 by Humphrey Davy

Question 2

What was Nitrous Oxide the first ‘proper’ anesthetic to do?

Answer 2

Nitrous oxide made patients less aware of pain

Question 3

Why was the impact of Nitrous Oxide limited?

Answer 3

Nitrous Oxide didn’t make patients completely unconscious - surgeons had varying degrees of success (it was mainly used recreationally by the upper classes)

Question 4

What happened in 1845?

Answer 4

Dentist Horace Wells used Nitrous Oxide in an dental operation (patient was left in pain)

Question 5

Who discovered the first anesthetic to make patients completely unconscious and when?

Answer 5

Ether was discovered by William Morton is 1846

Question 6

Which American surgeon used Ether in 1846?

Which British surgeon used Ether in 1847

Answer 6

1846 by John Collin Warren (neck tumour)

1847 by Robert Liston (amputation)

Question 7

What did the use of Ether in surgery allow?

Answer 7

With patients unconsciousness, surgeons could now perform stomach operations

Question 8

What were the negatives (7) of Ether?

Answer 8

1) Caused vomiting
2) Irritated the eyes and lungs (coughing)
3) Induced a deep sleep that could last for days
4) Had a vile clinging smell
5) Flammable (candles used to light theatres)
7) Contained in large, heavy glass bottles that were awkward to carry and easy to smash

Question 9

Who first discovered Chloroform and when?

Answer 9

James Simpson (obstetrician) in 1847.

Question 10

Why did he want to discover a new anaesthetic

Answer 10

He wanted to relieve the pain of childbirth and disliked Ether (smelt, flammable, irritant, vomiting….)

Question 11

Why was Chloroform so effective as an anesthetic? (positives)

Answer 11

It created a sleep like state with none of the side effects of ether

Question 12

What was the main negative of Chloroform?

Answer 12

It was difficult to get the dosage right;
Too little and the patient could still feel
Too much affected the heart; led to deaths

Question 13

Name groups of people that opposed anaesthetics?

Answer 13

#1 Religion; The vicorians were very religious and believed pain was from God, also that the pain of childbirth was penance for Eve's sins...
#2 Surgeons

Question 14

Who famously died in 1848?

Answer 14

Hannah Greener during an operation using chloroform, she was the first recorded death.

Question 15

What were the main arguments against Chloroform?

Answer 15

1) Unatural
2) Suspicion - untested and new
3) Easier to unconscious than awake
4) Behaviour; un-womanly/manly behaviour
5) Infection (black period of surgery)
6) Religious reasons
7) Dosages - hard to get right
8) Speed - loss of skill

(USE BIRDS)

Question 16

Why did the Church oppose Chloroform/anesthetics (2) ?

Answer 16

1) They thought pain was an act of God. A letter was published in the Lancet remarking pain was a blessing from God
2) They thought the pain of childbirth was penance for Eve’s sins.

Question 17

What was published in 1849?

Answer 17

In 1849 a letter was published in the Lancet protesting use of anesthetics that said pain was a blessing from God

Question 18

Why did surgeons oppose Chloroform? (4)

Answer 18

1) The fastest surgeons had the best demand-so made more money. Anesthetics got rid of the need for this skill-patient was unconscious.
2) Chloroform was a new development and people were wary.
3) Felt it was easier to die unconscious than awake and struggling.
4) Couldn’t explain rise in the infection and death rate (black period of surgery) and were put off. (Hannah Greener)

Question 19

When and what was the black period of surgery

Answer 19

1847 to 1877. Whilst patients were unconscious surgeons could try out more complicated operations, this lead to more people getting infections, losing blood and dying.

Question 20

Why did the public oppose Chloroform?

Answer 20

1) Natural suspicion
2) Victorian Britain was very religious
3) Fear it would make women unladylike and aroused…
4) They thought it would make men wimpy
5) Scaremongering; death of Hannah Greener

Question 21

Who thought men shouldn’t use chloroform when being operated on?

Answer 21

A Crimean Army General, he thought it was unmanly to be spared pain

Question 22

Who solved the problem of dosage? When?

Answer 22

In 1848 John Snow developed an inhaler which made administering doses more precise

Question 23

Who helped normalize the use of Chloroform?

Answer 23

Queen Victoria, she used chloroform in the birth of her 8th child in in 1853. (Charles Dickens wrote about his wife using it also)

Question 24

Name 5 figures (not Simpson) who were involved in promoting/dissuaded (?) Chloroform…

Answer 24

1) Queen Victoria (promote)
2) Charles Dickens (promote)
3) John Snow (promote)
4) Hannah Grenner (dissuade)
5) Crimean Army General (dissuade)

Question 25

Give 3 reasons why Simpson didn’t help solve the problem of pain relief…

Answer 25

1) Snow made Chloroform safe and usable (inhaler) Simpson’s chloroform had fatal side effects
2) Without Queen Victoria’s endorsement it would’ve been forgotten; opposition to chloroform meant it wasn’t used
3) Simpson wasn’t the first to develop pain relief (N.O and Ether)

Question 26

What did the invention of anaesthetics allow

Answer 26

Unconscious patients allowed more complex surgeries to be developed and refined (could remove tumours and gallstones)

Question 27

Name 4 factors that affected anaesthetics and what they did?

Answer 27

1) Beliefs; religious, of surgeons etc. dissuaded people from using anaesthetics
2) Technology; Inhaler made Chloroform safe to use
3) Individuals
4) Communication; the papers scare-mongered but also publicized events like Queen Victoria’s use of chloroform