ABSTRACT
Anesthetic inhalants were a contentious innovation during the nineteenth century. Administered by John Snow during Queen Victoria’s eighth childbirth in 1853, chloroform gained cultural traction after years of controversial representation in the popular press. Victorian studies scholars have primarily focused on the use of chloroform by male physicians during surgery and midwifery. This chapter alternatively, focuses on chloroform crime wielded and witnessed by the Victorian public—a facet of medical and cultural history that has been significantly underrepresented. The ability to be overpowered by anyone (regardless of one’s size or gender) at the hands of newly developed scientific technology emphasized never-before-seen risks created by pharmacological agents. And while women were often the victims in these crimes, they also were often the perpetrators—a scandalous development. Largely facilitated by periodical accounts, Victorians’ concern became so significant that penalties for chloroform assault were incorporated into the Prevention of Offences Act of 1851.These attacks were as scandalous as they were captivating to audiences, further illustrated in the periodical accounts that shared their stories.
