30 Aralık 2013 Pazartesi

From the archive, thirty December 1846: Important discovery in surgical procedure

Surgery, University College Hospital, 1898.

A patient goes under the knife at University School Hospital Health-related School, London, 1898. Photograph: Science &amp Society Image Librar/Getty Pictures




Dr. Bigelow, of Boston, some number of weeks since sent to this nation an account of surgical operations having been performed on sufferers, while they have been in a state of insensibility from the inhalation of the vapour of sulphuric ether. This account describes the procedure and its effects:—


“A boy of sixteen was seated in the chair. The first handful of inhalations occasioned a quick cough at the finish of eight minutes the head fell back and the arms dropped, but owing to some resistance in opening the mouth, the tooth could not be reached just before he awoke. He yet again inhaled and slept three minutes, during which time the tooth was extracted. On coming to he explained he had had ‘a first-rate dream – extremely quiet – and had dreamed of Napoleon had not the slightest consciousness of pain’ and he left the chair feeling no uneasiness of any kind, and evidently in a substantial state of admiration.


“A youthful guy was made to inhale the vapour while an operation was carried out on the tissues close to the eye. Soon after a excellent deal of coughing, the patient succeeded in inhaling the vapour, and fell asleep. During the succeeding two minutes, the very first incision was produced, and the patient awoke, but unconscious of discomfort. Desirous to be yet again inebriated, the tube was placed in his mouth, and retained there about 25 minutes, the patient being apparently half affected, but, as he subsequently stated, unconscious.


“35 minutes had elapsed, when I located the pulse all of a sudden diminishing in force. The respiration was slow, the hands cold, and the patient insensible. Interest was now directed to the return of respiration and circulation. Cold effusions, as directed for poisoning with alcohol, were utilized to the head, the ears were syringed, and ammonia presented to the nostrils and administered internally. It was only soon after getting compelled to walk throughout half an hour that the patient was in a position to lift his head.”


In a letter to the Morning Chronicle Dr. Boott, of Bedford Square, says that the inhalation has been tried in London with the most excellent accomplishment in the extraction of teeth and that two surgical operations have been performed by Mr. Liston, with no the patients possessing been in the least aware of what had been carried out.


Dr. Forbes, the editor of the British and Foreign Health-related Review, says:—


“Yesterday we had the fulfillment of seeing this new mode of cheating discomfort place in practice by a master of chiurgery on our personal side of the Atlantic. In the theatre of University College Hospital, Mr. Liston amputated the thigh of a guy previously narcotised by inhalation of the ether vapour. Shortly after becoming positioned on the working table, the patient started to inhale, and grew to become apparently insensible in the course of two or three minutes. The operation was then commenced, and the limb was eliminated in what seemed to us a marvellously quick room of time – undoubtedly much less than a minute the patient remaining completely still and motionless.


“Even though the vessels were becoming secured, on being spoken to he roused partially up (even now displaying no indications of discomfort) and answered concerns place to him, in a slow, drowsy method. He declared to us that at no portion of the operation had he felt discomfort, though he appeared to be partially aware he had heard some words, and felt that some thing was becoming accomplished to his limb. He was not conscious till advised that the limb was off, and, when he knew it, expressed wonderful gratification at obtaining been saved from pain.”




From the archive, thirty December 1846: Important discovery in surgical procedure

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