Opposition; Lister, Semmelweiss, Simpson Flashcards
When did Simpson discover the anesthetic properties of chloroform?
1847
Who were the three main groups who opposed Simpson?
Surgeons
Religious groups
Social (public)
Why did surgeons oppose Simpson?
1 Chloroform removed the need for speed
Explain why Surgeons felt upset by losing the need for speed?
Surgeons had prided themselves on their speed (it had reduced death from shock) but now chloroform meant they could take their time what with the patient unconscious. They felt like they had lost a key ‘skill’
Why did religious opposition to chloroform?
1 They though pain in childbirth was penance for Eve’s sins (Simpson created it for use in childbirth)
Why was there social opposition to chloroform?
1 New and Untested; natural suspicion
Why did a Crimean army general oppose chloroform?
He thought it made men wimpy to experience pain relief
Name people who helped promote chloroform
Queen Victoria; used it in childbirth 1853 which encouarged the public to accept it
Charles Dickens; wrote about his wife using it again helping to promote it’s benefits
John Snow; made chloroform safe to use (inhaler)
How did communication affect chloroform?
The papers initially scare mongered; publishing accounts of Hannah Greener’s death and other negatives meaning the public distrusted chloroform.
In the later years they published accounts of Queen V using it helping to create acceptance for chloroform
When did Lister start using carbolic acid?
1867
Why did people oppose the use of carbolic acid in surgery?
1 It created unpleasant working conditions; smelly, messy
Why did people oppose Lister’s methods?
1 They were difficult to follow - this led to people copying them wrong and not getting the same results
Why did people oppose Lister himself?
1 He was viewed as a fanatic
When did Semmelweiss make the link between childbed fever and medical students?
1846
Even though Semmelweiss decreased the death rate,
why was he fired?
1 He was seen as arrogant for not consulting people before telling them to wash their hands
