A person who administers chloroform, especially a surgeon or anesthetist during the era when chloroform was a primary anesthetic.
From chloroform + -ist suffix meaning 'one who practices or specializes in'. The term became common in the mid-to-late 19th century during the height of chloroform's medical use.
The role of the chloroformist was one of the earliest specialized medical positions—these experts had to carefully judge dosages by watching the patient's breathing and pupils, making them part chemist, part artist, and part gambler with their patient's life.
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