Autor: Snow, Stephanie J.
Blessed Days of Anaesthesia
How Anaesthesia changed the world
1st Edition 2009, 242 p., 16 halfetone illus., softcover

About the book:

A compelling, and at times grisly, account of a fascinating period in medical history
Describes the key episodes, the chance discoveries, and the very human dramas, which all led to the introduction of anaesthesia into modern medicine
Brings together the history of science with the history of a profound social change: as medical, moral, and religious orthodoxies were challenged, and intense debate gripped the public
The Victorians' encounter with anaesthesia not only led to better pain management and better medical practice, but, as this book reveals, it also resulted in a more compassionate society as a whole

Among all the great discoveries and inventions of the nineteenth century, few offer us a more fascinating insight into Victorian society than the discovery of anaesthesia. Now considered to be one of the greatest inventions for humanity since the printing press, anaesthesia offered pain-free operations, childbirth with reduced suffering, and instant access to the world beyond consciousness. And yet, upon its introduction, Victorian medics, moralists, clergymen, and scientists, were plunged into turmoil.

This vivid and engaging account of the early days of anaesthesia unravels some key moments in medical history: from Humphry Davy's early experiments with nitrous oxide and the dramas that drove the discovery of ether anaesthesia in America, to the outrage provoked by Queen Victoria's use of chloroform during the birth of Prince Leopold. And there are grisly ones too: frequent deaths, and even notorious murders.

Interweaved throughout the story, a fascinating social change is revealed. For anaesthesia caused the Victorians to rethink concepts of pain, sexuality, and the links between mind and body. From this turmoil, a profound change in attitudes began to be realised, as the view that physical suffering could, and should, be prevented permeated through society, most tellingly at first in prisons and schools where pain was used as a method of social control. In this way, the discovery of anaesthesia left not only a medical and scientific legacy that changed the world, but a compassionate one too.