A non-obstetric exposure to chloroform for Queen Victoria

David J Wilkinson1

  • 1Boyle Department of Anaesthesia, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.

The administration of chloroform by John Snow to Queen Victoria to provide analgesia for the delivery of her children was a pivotal moment in the development of anaesthesia. It has long been thought that this was the only occasion she had experienced anaesthesia but examination of her diaries shows this to be untrue.