Simpson and Chloroform

• in 1846, Ether was discovered as an effective anaesthetic. However, it made patients Vomit and cough even while unconcious, so James Simpson decided he wanted to find something better
• In the summer of 1847, Simpson along with two assistants experimented with various substances and discovered Chloroform. They discovered it had less side effects than ether
• It was difficult to administer Chloroform correctly. Too little and a patient could Still feel pain, but too much could cause death
• Many people believed childbirth should be painful as that was what God wanted but this soon fell out of favour once Queen Victoria praised chloroform after using it during childbirth in 1853
• It seemed to lead to more deaths after surgery, but this was only because surgeons were now trying more difficult surgeries