Pain Flashcards
Who discovered laughing gas (nitrous oxide)?
Humphrey Davy
Horace Wells (dentist) first used it medically
What year was laughing gas discovered?
1799
What were the positives and negatives of laughing gas?
Positives: reduced pain
Negatives: too weak to knock out patient
Who discovered ether?
John Collins Warren
Robert Liston first used it in surgery
What year was ether discovered?
1846
What were the positives and negatives of ether?
Positives: knocked out patient
Negatives: flammable and explosive, irritated eyes and chest, made patient through up
Who discovered chloroform?
James Simpson
John Snow discovered safe dosage
What year was chloroform discovered?
1847
What were the positives and negatives of chloroform?
Positives: knocked out patient, got rid of pain
Negatives: hadn’t been tested: no one knew long term effects on body, surgeons got cocky: did more extensive operations = more infection and blood loss
What celebrity mothers were influential in the change of popularity for chloroform?
Queen Victoria and Mrs Dickens (Charles Dickens’ wife), both on eighth child
Who died from an overdose of chloroform?
Hannah Greener in 1848
When was the ‘black period of surgery’?
1847-1867
What was the ‘black period of surgery’?
the 20 years between the solution to pain and the solution to infection in surgery
Who was James Simpson?
A professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University (Obstetrician)
What were some religious arguments against anaesthetics?
- unnatural, childbirth gives mother power
- God’s will for people to suffer
- takes away religious and moral character of mother
What were some medical arguments against anaesthetics?
- untested - no knowledge of long term effects
2. no one knew a safe dosage
How did anaesthesia change surgeons’ pride?
They prided themselves on speed - anaesthesia made this less necessary
How did anaesthesia change operations?
Surgeons went for riskier operations because there wasn’t a screaming patient who could die from shock. This increased risk of infection and blood loss so more people died.
What was the fastest time it took for Robert Liston to amputate a limb?
28 seconds
What new anaesthetic was discovered and what was a negative from it?
Cocaine but it was addictive
How did they find a way to use cocaine without its addictive effects?
Using it for a local anesthetic rather than a general anesthetic
What year did Charles Dickens’ wife use chloroform?
1848
What year did Queen Victoria use chloroform?
1853
