Breaking the Barrier of Pain:

The Use of Chloroform in 19th Century Obstetrics

Kaitlyn Jorgensen, Melodi Fugate, Victoria Valdivia

Junior Division

Group Website

Annotated Bibliography
 Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources:

1. Simpson, Eve Blantyre. Sir James Y. Simpson. Anderson & Ferrier, 1896.

This source was used as a primary source to tell us a truthful and first hand account of

Simpson’s life from someone that knew him personally and followed his medical

achievements and career.

Primary Source Images:

2. Tunny, James Good. “Sir James Young Simpson, 1811 - 1870. Discoverer of

Chloroform.” The National Galleries of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, 1854,

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/42228/sir-james-young-simpson-1811-1

870-discoverer-chloroform?search=james young simpson&search_set_offset=3.

This source was used to show Sir James Simpson after he had broken the barrier of pain

and was posing for portraits to mark his place in history.

3. Hill, David Octavius, and Robert Adamson. “Sir James Young Simpson and ---Simpson

(or Dr George Bell) [Group 239].” The National Galleries of Scotland, National Galleries

of Scotland, 1843,

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/69679/sir-james-young-simpson-and-sim

pson-or-dr-george-bell-group-239?search=james young simpson&sThis source was used

to show James Simpson working with a friend and colleague to discover the anesthetic

properties of chloroform.

earch_set_offset=12.
 4. “The New York Times.” The New York Times,

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/05/03/world/00royal-births-history/2beb5ca7ae604f

5dbcfc267a11590b91-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp.

Used to show onlookers that chloroform was both successful and safe in the

administration of the anesthetic to the Queen.

5. “National Museums: Scotland.” National Museums: Scotland,

https://www.nms.ac.uk/media/1041232/inhaler-duo_700x485.jpg.

Depicts the masks that were used to administer chloroform to patients’ undeergoing procedures

in the 1800s.

6. Historicist: Uncomfortably Numb. Torontoist,

https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/20170429SansomAdministration.jpg.

This image was used to show the proper administration of chloroform to viewers.

Secondary Sources:

7. "James Young Simpson." World of Health, Gale, 2006. Gale In Context: Science,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K2191100331/GPS?u=mira63459&sid=GPS&xid=600e93

1f. Accessed 7 Sept. 2019.

This source was used to explain who Sir James Young Simpson was and why he was

important to 19th century obstetrics.

8. Wong, Cynthia A. “Simpson: The turbulent life of a medical pioneer” Journal of Clinical

Investigation, vol. 121, no. 9, 2011, p. 3365. Gale Academic Onefile,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A266225585/AONE?u=novaseu_main&sid=AO
 NE&xid=a842b012. Accessed 21 Sept. 2019.

This source was used to explain what the allies of chloroform did to help Simpson get the

medical world to accept chloroform as a safe anesthetic in obstetrics.

9. Bogdan-Lovis, Elizabeth A. “What a Blessing She Had Chloroform: The Medical and

Social Response to the Pain of Childbirth from 1800 to the Present. (Book Reviews).”

Victorian Studies, vol. 43, no. 4, 2001, p. 686+. Gale Academic Onefile,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A82671304/AONE?u=novaseu_main&sid=AONE&a

mp;xid=ee3d9c6b. Accessed 13 Sept. 2019.

This source was used to explain what the opponents of the use of chloroform as an

anesthetic did to attempt to put a stop to its use.

10. “Sir James Young Simpson, M.D.- On Chloroform (November, 1847).” SOAP, Society

for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, 18 May 2018,

https://soap.org/about-us/soap-history-10-29-18/sir-james-young-simpson-m-d-on-chloro

form-november-1847/.

This source was used to explain one of the immediate effects of breaking the barrier of

pain, and what it meant for mothers around the world.

11. "James Young Simpson." Science and Its Times, edited by Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer,

vol. 5, Gale, 2000. Gale In Context: Science,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K2643412306/GPS?u=mira63459&sid=GPS&xid=d2039c

a1. Accessed 7 Sept. 2019.

This source was used to explain the impact and legacy that Simpson left behind when he

discovered chloroform as an efficient anesthetic. In addition, it explains the importance of

 the use of chloroform as an anesthetic in obstetrics.

12. Payne, JP. “Chloroform in Clinical Anesthesia.” ​British Journal of Anesthesia​, 1981,

https://bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(19)30527-6/pdf.

This is an article written in 1981 from the British Journal of Anesthesia. ​This helped me

understand the reasoning behind the resistance.

13. Caton, Donald. “The Influence of Social Values on Obstetric Anesthesia.” ​Journal of

Ethics | American Medical Association,​ American Medical Association, 1 Mar. 2015,

https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/influence-social-values-obstetric-anesthesia/2

015-03.

This is an article from the Journal of Ethics American Medical Association written by

Donald Caton. T​his helped me understand what legacy was left after the breaking of this

barrier.

Secondary Source Images:

14. “Depicts Queen Victoria, Her Children, and a Variety of Noblemen.” Pinterest,

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/95/a8/82/95a8821d07a5241666f50de843913ce9.jpg.

This photo was used to help give viewers an idea of the culture of the 1800s and what the

process of discovering anesthesia looked like.

15. Daily Beast,

https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1439,w_256

0,x_0,y_0/dpr_1.5/c_limit,w_1600/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1492196807/articles/2014/08/17/que
 en-victoria-s-secret-scottish-sex-castle/140816-irving-queen-victoria-scotland-tease_nfm

qvh.

This painting was used to establish both the Queen’s wealth and social status that she used to

help Simpson bolster chloroform.

16. https://www.nms.ac.uk/media/1041225/ether-and-cholorform-hero-h.jpeg?center=0.5659

2184305191,0.708296060562134&mode=crop&width=1920&height=800&rnd=1319799

54030000000

Depicts bottles of anesthetics that were both used in the 1800s; chloroform and ether.

17. “Britannica.” Britannica,

https://cdn.britannica.com/s:700x500/71/138671-050-73CD8CB0/James-Young-Simpson

-Scottish-chloroform-lithograph-experiment-1847.jpg.

This image was used to depict the hardships and risks that Simpson and his colleagues took in

the process of discovering chloroform.

18. “Flickr.” Flickr, 19 June 2008,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ipohkia/2634929528/in/photostream/.

This photo shows an image of Edinburgh, Scotland which was where James Simpson was born.

The picture was used as a background for a website page.

19. Interesting Engineering,

https://inteng-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/img/iea/r1OrdrPb6n/sizes/ether_resize_md.jpg.

This image depicts both ether and chloroform. This was used to show the audience the two

different types of anesthetics.