General anaesthesia as a topic of articles in the medical press of the Kingdom of Poland of the 1840s and 1850s

Abstract

The middle of the 19th century was a period when, despite the loss of state independence, magazines addressed to medical circles began to be established and developed on Polish lands. This happened, among others, in Warsaw, where "Pamiętnik Towarzystwa Lekarskiego Warszawskiego" (“Diary of the Medical Society of Warsaw”) and "Tygodnik Lekarski” (“Medical Weekly”) were published. They presented many novelties - both diagnostic and therapeutic - which included the introduction of general anaesthesia into common medical practice. The articles played a role of a practical transfer of knowledge. What is undoubtedly interesting is the very fast flow of information between the countries of Western Europe and the Polish lands, given the technical possibilities at that time.