4: By Principle or By Rule

11/06/21 • 36 min

2 Listeners

Chloroform's ease of use and lack of side effects compared to ether made it an attractive choice for doctors and patients, but as its use spread across the country, doctors and dentists using it would discover it could have sinister consequences both for their patients, and for themselves, and questions about its safety would set Edinburgh against London in an argument about its use.

Featuring:

Dr Sophie Boles, trainee anaesthetist, London

Dr David Wilkinson, consultant anaesthetist and former Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology

Dr Christine Ball, consultant anaesthetist, Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology, and honorary curator of the Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History, Melbourne

Alan Jenkins, broadcaster and journalist, as the voice of James Young Simpson.

Music by Nicola Chang

Podcast Artwork by Matthew Johnston

Written, recorded and edited by Dr Matthew Heron.

Executive Producer Joel Myers

www.etherorpod.com

Featuring:

Dr Sophie Boles, trainee anaesthetist, London

Dr David Wilkinson, consultant anaesthetist and former Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology

Dr Christine Ball, consultant anaesthetist, Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology, and honorary curator of the Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History, Melbourne

Alan Jenkins, broadcaster and journalist, as the voice of James Young Simpson.

Music by Nicola Chang

Podcast Artwork by Matthew Johnston

Written, recorded and edited by Dr Matthew Heron.

Executive Producer Joel Myers

www.etherorpod.com

Previous Episode

3: A Scottish Solution

1 Recommendations

Now ether anaesthesia had been discovered, how were doctors going to use it? And what was the experience like for the patients? As doctors struggled to get to grips with this new discovery, they'd look for solutions to some of ether's problems and an answer would come from an Edinburgh obstetrician.

Featuring:

Dr Monica Walker, Front of House and Engagement Manager at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garrett. www.oldoperatingtheatre.com

Dr Christine Ball, Consultant Anaesthetist, Honorary Curator Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthesiology Melbourne Australia, Wood Library Museum of Anaesthesiology Laureate

Dr Alistair McKenzie, Consultant Anaesthetist Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Adam Unze as the Voice of Jacob Bigelow. Adam is the host of the podcast ‘The Spark Parade,’ where he geeks out with artists and entertainers about their spark of cultural inspiration. www.thesparkparade.com

Alan Jenkins, broadcaster and journalist, as the voice of James Young Simpson.

Music by Nicola Chang

Podcast Artwork by Matthew Johnston

Written, recorded and edited by Dr Matthew Heron.

Executive Producer Joel Myers

www.etherorpod.com

Next Episode

5: The Commissions

1 Recommendations

Chloroform could stop patients breathing if you accidentally gave too much, but could it also cause the heart to suddenly stop beating? John Snow thought it did, but doctors in Scotland disagreed. Through the second half of the 19th century, the commissions and committees that investigated chloroform’s risks would chase an answer around the world, to India. And the results would be controversial.

Featuring:

Dr David Wilkinson, consultant anaesthetist and former Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology

Dr Christine Ball, consultant anaesthetist, Laureate of the Wood Library-Museum of Anaesthesiology, and honorary curator of the Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History, Melbourne

Professor Tim Cook, Consultant Anaesthetist and Royal College of Anaesthetists Director of National Audit Projects

Alan Jenkins, broadcaster and journalist, as the voice of Edward Laurie.

Music by Nicola Chang

Podcast Artwork by Matthew Johnston

Written, recorded and edited by Dr Matthew Heron.

Executive Producer Joel Myers

www.etherorpod.com