Educational Media Reviews Online

Anesthetics are almost taken for granted now, but they have a relatively short history. In the bad old days surgery was a spectator sport, and a patient was as likely to die from the shock as he was from the disease or deformity that plagued him. Scream! The History of Anesthetics covers the major highlights of the quest for the perfect anesthetic.

The need for anesthetics is apparent seconds into the segment dealing with Robert Liston. Renowned for his speed as well as his ability to play up to the thrill-seekers in the operating theatres, Liston was known as the “Showman Surgeon.” Using dramatic recreations and a lot of fake blood, the filmmakers get the patient’s dilemma across very quickly. Something had to be done. Enter ether; Liston was the first in Great Britain to use ether in surgery. However, as with any drug, there were side effects and difficulties. So the search went on.

Interestingly, ether frolics and chloroform parties (the drug was passed out after dinner to upper class guests who then inhaled it and passed out themselves) both helped the advances of medical science. It was after these events that physicians noticed that guests who had injured themselves while under the influence had no memory of pain. Physician self-experimentation was also common for most of these drugs. This could be problematic—one big nineteenth-century wonder drug and anesthetic was cocaine.

The historical context that the documentary provides adds to the value of the film. Particular attention is given to the Victorian period where the science of anesthesia faced religious and societal objections. The filmmakers also devote some time to the anesthetist profession itself as well as to the advances of the twentieth century, including halothane, cyclopropane, and ketamine—and the problems inherent with each of these.

The subject matter of Scream! The History of Anesthetics is fascinating and highly accessible. The use of dramatic recreations is particularly effective if occasionally hammy. Viewer discretion is advised. The actual filmed surgery and some of the patient interviews are more disturbing than the theatrical blood and gore. Although there is a strong British focus to the documentary, the subject matter is broad enough that this should not be a problem for American audiences. This would be a good addition to collections supporting history or health sciences and is highly recommended.