Exhibition: The Price of a Mile

The Price of a Mile is the third in a series of special exhibitions honouring the work of doctors who gave anaesthesia and pain relief to the wounded at the Battle of the Somme and during the First World War.

Ether and chloroform were used for general anaesthesia and were required in such enormous quantities that manufacturers were granted special facilities to meet demand. By 1916, apparatus that could warm ether had been developed and was issued to all CCSs, and led to quicker postoperative recovery and fewer complications.

Surgical teams in CCSs were made up of a surgeon,an aesthetist, sister and an orderly. There were few specialist anaesthetists during the War, and nurses, dentists and chaplains could be called upon to provide anaesthesia during surgery.