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Joseph Thomas Clover (born 28 February 1825; baptised 7 May 1825 – 27 September 1882) was an English doctor and innovator of
Clover became house surgeon to James Syme upon graduation in 1846. He became Residency (medicine), Resident Medical Officer at University College Hospital in 1848, and was admitted as a Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1850. Originally Clover developed an interest in the field of urology. He practised as a surgeon, inventing two instruments for the crushing and removal of bladder stones. Ill health caused him to give up in 1853 and he turned to general practice.City of Westminster green plaques
He then worked as a general practitioner in 1853. He set up his practice at 3 Cavendish Place, London, which became his home until his death in 1882.
After several years in general practice he devoted his practice to anaesthetics, and became "chloroformist" to the University College Hospital, the Westminster Hospital and the Royal Dental Hospital, London Dental Hospital. Clover's choice of speciality helped to fill the vacancy created by the death of John Snow (physician), John Snow in 1858.
Clover was probably present at Robert Liston's first operation under Diethyl ether, ether anaesthesia at University College Hospital in December 1846.
Clover wrote in 1871 that he had given chloroform more than 7000 times, in addition to other anaesthetics in another 4000 cases, without a fatality. However, he lost a patient to chloroform under his hands in 1874, in a case which he described in the British Medical Journal.Sykes, page 30.
During his lifetime, Clover invented and improved a variety of pieces of medical apparatus, especially those for easier and safer anaesthesia. Some of these inventions bore his name, including:
anaesthesia
Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...
. He invented a variety of pieces of apparatus to deliver anaesthetics, including ether
In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group, a single oxygen atom bonded to two separate carbon atoms, each part of an organyl group (e.g., alkyl or aryl). They have the general formula , where R and R†...
and chloroform, safely and controllably. By 1871, he had administered anaesthetics 13,000 times without a fatality.
Clover assisted at surgery of public figures including Napoleon III, Princess Alexandra of Denmark and her husband King Edward VII (then Prince of Wales), Sir Robert Peel, and Florence Nightingale.
His inventions included the bulky 'Clover's chloroform apparatus' (1862), with which he was often photographed; and the compact 'Clover's portable regulating ether inhaler' (1877), which remained in use well into the 20th century.
With fellow innovator John Snow (physician), John Snow, Clover is one of the supporters on the crest of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Early life
Clover was born in the town of Aylsham, NorfolkRushman, page 27. to John Wright Clover, a draper and shopkeeper, and Elizabeth Mary Ann Clover (née Peterson) John Wright Clover's second wife (married at Aylsham on 11 June 1821). He was educated at the Gray Friars' Priory School, Norwich. When he was 16, Clover was apprenticed as a surgical Dressing (medical), dresser to Charles Gibson, a local surgeon.Maltby, page 39. Clover enrolled to study medicine at University College Hospital in 1844, where Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, Joseph Lister (innovator of Antiseptic, antisepsis) was a fellow student.Career
Clover became house surgeon to James Syme upon graduation in 1846. He became Residency (medicine), Resident Medical Officer at University College Hospital in 1848, and was admitted as a Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1850. Originally Clover developed an interest in the field of urology. He practised as a surgeon, inventing two instruments for the crushing and removal of bladder stones. Ill health caused him to give up in 1853 and he turned to general practice.City of Westminster green plaques
He then worked as a general practitioner in 1853. He set up his practice at 3 Cavendish Place, London, which became his home until his death in 1882.
After several years in general practice he devoted his practice to anaesthetics, and became "chloroformist" to the University College Hospital, the Westminster Hospital and the Royal Dental Hospital, London Dental Hospital. Clover's choice of speciality helped to fill the vacancy created by the death of John Snow (physician), John Snow in 1858.
Clover was probably present at Robert Liston's first operation under Diethyl ether, ether anaesthesia at University College Hospital in December 1846.
Clover wrote in 1871 that he had given chloroform more than 7000 times, in addition to other anaesthetics in another 4000 cases, without a fatality. However, he lost a patient to chloroform under his hands in 1874, in a case which he described in the British Medical Journal.Sykes, page 30.
Important cases
Because of his expertise in anaesthesia, Clover was often sought out when important figures required surgery. He gave chloroform to Napoleon III, the deposed French Emperor, on 2 January 1873, at Chislehurst, Kent, and again on 6 January, for a procedure to break up a bladder stone. The Emperor died on 9 January. Clover was a signatory to his autopsy report, together with five other physicians.Sykes, page 8. Clover gave chloroform to Alexandra of Denmark, Alexandra, Princess of Wales, in 1867, for the removal of a splint from a Rheumatism, rheumatic knee, and later anaesthetised her husband Edward VII, Prince Albert Edward in 1877, for an operation to drain an abscess which was attributed to a hunting injury. Clover also administered general anaesthesia to Sir Robert Peel, Florence NightingaleRushman, page 28. and Sir Erasmus Wilson.Apparatus
During his lifetime, Clover invented and improved a variety of pieces of medical apparatus, especially those for easier and safer anaesthesia. Some of these inventions bore his name, including:
Clover's chloroform apparatus
Clover's chloroform apparatus was invented in 1862. Chloroform, being much more potent than ether, was much easier to give in Drug overdose, overdose. At a time when the anaesthetist was often an untrained assistant, many deaths occurred through accidental overdose. Clover's solution was a large reservoir bag of known capacity, lined with goldbeater's skin to make it Hermetic seal, airtight, into which a measured volume of chloroform liquid was placed. Inflating the bag to its capacity with a bellows provided a known, accurate and constant concentration of chloroform vapour in air, making delivery safer and more controllable. A Anaesthetic vaporiser, vaporiser was no longer necessary, but the bag was large and cumbersome. A dose of 20 Minim (volume), minims (1.18 millilitres) of chloroform per 1000 cubic inches (16.38 litres) of air would provide a concentration of chloroform vapour of 2.25%. 30 minims (1.77ml) would give 3.37%, and 40 minims (2.36ml) would give 4.5%, which Clover believed was the maximum safe concentration. Many photographs of Clover, heavily bearded, depict his chloroform apparatus slung over his shoulder.Clover's ether inhaler
Clover invented his portable ether inhaler in 1877. Judging by the illustration on the right, it was much admired at the time. It remained in use, modified in various ways, well into the 20th century.Duncum, 1947.Clover's crutch
Clover's crutch was a device for maintaining the patient in the lithotomy position.Death
Clover's health was fragile throughout his life. He died of Uremia, uraemia aged 57. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. His grave is only 200 yards away from that of fellow anaesthetics innovator, John Snow.Posthumous recognition
Together with John Snow (physician), John Snow, Clover is one of the supporters on the crest of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. In 1949, the Royal College of Surgeons established the annual Joseph Clover Lecture in recognition of his contribution to anaesthesia. It was given annually until 1958 and every two years thereafter. A memorial plaque on the site of his clinic at 3 Cavendish Place, Marylebone, was unveiled on 2 March 1994.References
Bibliography
* Duncum, Barbara M., ''The Development of Inhalation Anaesthesia with Special Reference to the Years 1846–1900'', Oxford University Press, 1947. * Maltby, J.R. ''Notable Names in Anaesthesia''. The Royal Society of Medicine Press, London, 2002. * Rushman, G.B., Davies N.J.H., Atkinson, R.S. ''A Short History of Anaesthesia: the First 150 Years''. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, 1996. * Sykes, W.S. ''Essays on the First Hundred Years of Anaesthesia'', Volume 2. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1960. {{DEFAULTSORT:Clover, Joseph Thomas 1825 births 1882 deaths People from Aylsham English anaesthetists Burials at Brompton Cemetery Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 19th-century English medical doctors