Alexandrina Victoria

VICTORIA (QUEEN), Alexandrina, English ruler, 1819-1901. Queen of Great Britain from 1837. After Simpson introduced chloroform as a general anaesthetic in surgery, there was much antipathy from the moralists. Finally Victoria decided to break the deadlock by opting for its use on her, and as head of the Anglican Church that was the end of opposition. The anaesthetic came into general usage.

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