The Introduction of Ether Anaesthesia in the Nordic Countries

The way in which the news about ether anaesthesia went from U. S. A. to Europe is briefly described. The first information about ether anaesthesia came to the Scandinavian countries in 1847 through newspapers, which had their information from newspapers in England, France and Germany. The professional news came to the respective countries from doctors who were studying medical progress in Paris or from French medical journals. The first Scandinavian Society to be informed was the Swedish, and the first ether anaesthesia was given in Stockholm about 6 February. Denmark was next, and the first anaesthesia was given about 20 February in Copenhagen. In Norway, ether was used on 4 March in Christiania (Oslo), and in Finland on 8 March in Helsingfors (Helsinki). Anaesthesia in Iceland cannot be traced any earlier than 1856. A table shows when the first anaesthetics were given in different places in Europe and the world.