James Simpson & Chloroform (AQA GCSE History)

Why was chloroform a significant discovery in medicine? - Summary

Chloroform was a significant discovery in medicine because it allowed surgeons to perform operations without the patient feeling pain. Discovered by James Simpson in 1847, chloroform became a popular anaesthetic, especially after Queen Victoria used it during childbirth in 1853. Before chloroform, surgeries were quick and limited to simple procedures because patients had to endure extreme pain. With chloroform, surgeons could perform longer and more complex operations, advancing the possibilities of surgery. It was a major step forward in medicine and encouraged the development of safer anaesthetics in the future.

However, chloroform also had its dangers and critics. It was difficult to control the dosage, and too much could lead to death. Some patients reacted badly to it. This caused fear among the public. There were also negative opinions from some religious groups. They believed that pain, especially during childbirth, was part of God’s plan and should not be avoided. Over time, scientists developed safer anaesthetics than chloroform. However, chloroform remained a key breakthrough in helping people see the potential of pain-free surgery.

What is an anaesthetic?

• An anaesthetic is a substance which reduces pain

  • Sometimes, an anaesthetic can make a patient unconscious

Why did people attempt to find anaesthetics?

• The hunt for an effective anaesthetic was important in the 19th century

  • Patients continued to die from shock in surgery

  • Surgeons were unable to perform long, complicated or accurate operations

Early developments in anaesthetics

Laughing gas

• Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) had proved successful for smaller operations like tooth extractions

  • Humphry Davy, a dentist’s assistant, had discovered the pain relief properties of laughing gas in 1795

Ether

• American surgeon Dr Crawford Long used ether in 1846. He successfully removed a tumour from a patient’s neck

• Ether created excitement amongst doctors as an anaesthetic

• There were problems with ether including:

  • it made patients vomit

  • it irritated the lungs, causing the patient to cough even when they were unconscious

  • the chemical was flammable

    • This was dangerous in an operating theatre lit by gas lamps or candles

• There was a desire within the medical community to discover an effective anaesthetic which had fewer side effects

Who was James Simpson?

• James Simpson was a Scottish doctor in the 19th century

  • Simpson was attempting to discover a better anaesthetic than laughing gas or ether

The discovery of chloroform

• Simpson gathered his friends in 1847 and smelt various chemicals

• After smelling chloroform, Simpson and his friends passed out for some time

  • This confirmed the potential of chloroform as an anaesthetic

The significance of chloroform

Positive impacts

• Chloroform was better than other anaesthetics at the time for reducing pain

• Queen Victoria used chloroform in the birth of her eighth child, Leopold, in 1853

  • Having the Queen’s support made anaesthetics more accepted by the public

  • Simpson gained a knighthood for his services to medicine

• Longer, more complex surgeries forced advancements in antiseptics

Negative impacts

• It was easy to overdose and kill a patient

• It could affect the heart, causing young, healthy patients to die

  • Hannah Greener was only 14 years old when she died under chloroform during a toenail removal

• Longer, more complicated surgeries caused more issues with infection and bleeding

• By the 20th century, chloroform was no longer used in surgery