Chloroform Committee

The Chloroform Committee was commissioned by the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society (now known as the Royal Society of Medicine) in 1864 to investigate the use of chloroform.[1] The committee recommended the use of chloroform in the same year (although ether was safer for patients).[2][3] It was the first of such committees (see the box at the bottom of this page) and concluded that chloroform depresses the action of the heart and frequently kills. One of the members, Joseph Clover, during his time on the committee developed apparatus for using chloroform called the Clover bag.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Thomas, K Bryn (1974-08). "Chloroform: Commissions and Omissions" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 67 (8): 723–730. PMC 1645794. PMID 4609043. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1645794. Retrieved 2010-12-24. 
  2. ^ Pearce, David (2008). "Chloroform". Utopian Surgery: Early arguments against anaesthesia in surgery, dentistry and childbirth. BLTC Research. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.general-anaesthesia.com%2Fimages%2Fchloroform.htm&date=2010-12-24. Retrieved 2010-12-24. "In 1864, the Report of Chloroform Committee of Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society endorsed chloroform as Britain's favourite anaesthetic. But ether was safer for patients." 
  3. ^ Wawersik, Juergen (1991). "History of Anesthesia in Germany". Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 3 (3): 235–244. doi:10.1016/0952-8180(91)90167-L. PMID 1878238. 
Chloroform Committees and Commissions
1847
(Chloroform first used)
1864
Chloroform Committee (Royal Medico-Chirurgical Society). · See also: Clover bag
1877
1888

First Hyderabad Commissions

(Surgeon-Major Lawrie of the Bengal Medical Service appointed by the Nizam: Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI). · See also: Lawrie's Apparatus
1889
Second Hyderabad Commission (Surgeon-Major Lawrie with T. Lauder Brunton FRS of St. Bartholomew's Hospital)
1891
British Medical Association Anæsthetics Committee (British Medical Association)
1893
The Lancet commissioned Dudley Buxton to implement a questionnaire to report deaths, the method of induction and the clinical stance of chloroform.
1901
1912
American Medical Association Committee on Anæsthesia (American Medical Association) - ban chloroform
The list shown in this table is referenced, to view its references see: Template:Chloroform committees and commissions.