Anaesthesia, anthropology, and colonialism in the Pacific – An unusual case report

Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay was a renowned Russian ethnologist who spent most of his life in the Pacific and was one of the first Europeans to live among and study the Melanesian people of Papua New Guinea. He is regarded as one of the first scientific anti-racists. New Guinea at this time was one of the remotest places on earth and had little contact with Europeans, mainly occasional missionaries and explorers. In September 1871, Maclay landed at Garagassi Point, Astrolabe Bay, on the north coast of New Guinea. Travelling with him were two assistants: Ohlsen – a Swede, and Boy – a young Samoan. Boy then proceeded to become very ill and his constant groaning was silenced only when Maclay administered morphia. Maclay was threatened by the local indigenous tribal people who wanted his belongings. They knew his two companions were possibly dying and Maclay tried to appear normal despite being ill with malaria. On the night of 13 December, Maclay poured chloroform onto cotton wool and held it over Boy’s airway – he died soon after. Maclay, as an anthropologist, wanted a Polynesian brain for study. Despite Ohlsen’s protests, Maclay removed part of Boy’s forehead and scalp but then abandoned this as he did not have a container to hold a brain. Maclay had promised Prof Karl Gegenbaur of Germany that he would obtain a ‘dark man’s’ larynx, tongue and related muscles, which he resected. Maclay came to Australia in 1878, becoming a prominent member of the Australian scientific community.