Chloroform and the John O'Groat Journal in 1847 and 1848

Abstract

The story of the introduction in November 1847 of the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic is well known. News of this new agent spread quickly to Caithness in the north of Scotland. The local newspaper was the weekly John O'Groat Journal (the Groat). Each issue contained a comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news. Many items were copied from other newspapers. Copies of the Groat for November and December 1847 and for all of 1848 were searched and 14 references to the use of chloroform were found. The Caledonian or Edinburgh Mercury was the first newspaper to publish the news about the use of chloroform in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 15 November 1847. This article was copied and published in the Groat on 26 November 1847, so the Caithness doctors would have been aware of this new development. The first account of the use of chloroform by Dr. Laing appeared in the Groat on 28 January 1848. On 11 February 1848, a news item describes chloroform use by Dr. Mill and on 17 November and 22 December 1848, the Groat described how Dr. Sinclair removed facial tumours. These country doctors were not afraid to use this new anaesthetic.