Early experiences with anaesthesia and the first recorded use of ether in Jamaica, 1847

RESUMO

a search of the newspapers between 1840 and 1850 revealed that the first experiences with ether anaesthesia were reported in Jamaica less than three months after its first reported use in Great Britain and two months before its first use in Australia. A variety of apparatuses were and usedeffectively. Newspapers of an era can provide a wealth of information on such momentous events as the introduction of anaesthesia to countries. Hospital records are aften incomplete or may not be available for that period. However most libraries or newspaper publishers maintain a complete record of their issues on microfilm. Related to this is the fact that the first experiences with ether anesthesia often occurred outside hospitals, for example, in a doctor's house or office, and as such were likely to be carried as news items and not record in hospital records