Volume 9b - History of Anaesthesia Society

Drs L Va~quez, J Carcellar, J Frente, A Franco
(Santiag~ de COmpOst~la)
The history of tile introduction of chloroform anaesthesia in Srmin has
remined controversial for several yeqrs; our grour, has recently
investigated this tonic by mans of the scientific and daily press of
several Spnish cities, mainlv I-ladrid and mrcelona.
First rep~rts of chlorofolcm anaesthesia
New.3 of chloroform anaesthesia arrived at Cadiz, Mrcelona, Santiago da
Ccmpostela and Madrid slmst sirmlltaneously . Qdiz received the
information in November 1137 by an article published in the magazine La
Revista de Ciencias Medicas (30 Yovemhr ln47) entitld Nuevo ayente
p? procurd 13 insensibilitad. El chlorofom. Later, on 20 December,
tills mgaxne plblished another article abut this anaesthetic entitled
El chlorofocn~.
me news of the discovery arrived in Barcelona in Plovember 1937 in
articles publisl~ed in !nth the lay and scientific press. In Santiago
de Compstela, Prof.Guamerio wr~>te that he had head the news frm
French n~mpxpers of 24 November 1047. In the same city, Prof. Casaras
of the Faculty of Chemistry also had hear:d the nem Erm the foreign
press. Tne infomtion arrived in Madrid - a few days later it was in
the daily press of 6 kcemlxr and the Gaceta Hedical of 10 December.
First Laboratory experinumts
Chloroform wss prepwed i~ Barcalona by a phamcist of Union Street
called Francisco mnech. Ilaving obtained t'le drug, Mendoza carried
out experiments on a d g on Sunday 19 December 1.947 which consisted
of some painful stimli md minor surgery performed after the anMl had
inhaled chloroform.
On 5 December 1847, Frafessor Casares of Santiago de Compostel? had
obtained a m11 munt of chloroform. By the 19th December he had
synthesized enongh tr~ perform the first experiments ad clinical trials,
so on that day ha and some urqeons chlorofomed a dog and also
prformel ex:seriments on thmelve:?. Tha results wsre satisfactory and
they decided to try it on ~mtients the following da-4, Monday 20
December.
Chloroforn w3s first synthes~aej i~ mdrid on l5 kcnrnber 1g47 ht the
munt was so sm-l1 that no experimnts could be undertaken. l%e
anadlthetlc wls oi)td~?ed by th? phamcists Drs Lletqet and Andres Checa
and on 26 3nd 39 Meer, seven1 eupriments were performed by
professors of t4a Faculty of Yediclne of Wadrrrl.
First operations with chloroform
Cm 20 Decembr 1847, at the Hospital Real de Santiago de Compostel~,
Professor Glmrnerio amputated, for cancer, the penis of one Doqingo