The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-04 00:00:00

UDDER ETHERi

A correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette thus
describes a recent experience: Punctually at the time
appointed two serious, frock-coated gentlemen, with
ominous little black bags in their hands, were an-
nounced. The surgeon declared that the operation
must be performed in bed. So we pulled the bedstead
into the most convenient position for catching the
light from the window, and when he had retired I
began to undress. It seemed very absurd going to
bed in the middle of the day, more especially as the
blinds were fully drawn up, and the sun was strug-
gling through the clouds and pouring its light into
the room. No time was lost; the surgeon and doctor
came in, and began to arrange their tackle for
work. The doctor got out his ether apparatus and
soon compounded a smell like a photographer's
shop in olden days, while out of the corner
of my eye I could see the surgeon, who
had taken off his coat and pulled some
guards over his wrists and arms, arranging his
weapons in a neat row on the dressing-table. When
the doctor had got his machine ready he placed it
over my nose and mouth, with instructions to breathe
deeply two or three times. The apparatus used for riving
ether consists of a box in which the compouni is
placed, and an oval india-rubber mask, very pliant
and flexible, projecting from it, with a tap which
allows communication between the two parts to be
cut off or established at will. The mask part was
placed over my face, and I inhaled deeply once or
twice, with the only result that 1. was seized with a
choking cough, which, however, was soon followed by
a pleasant and restful sensation. I felt as if I were
gently dozing off on a warm summer's day, so I closed
my eyes and placed my arms down by my sides that
they might not interfere with my breathing. The
doctor bent over me and raised an eyelid,but I was
wide enough awake to say, "Not yet, doctor."
I was rapidly going, though, and felt I was be-
ginning to lose consciousness. The light seemed
gently to fade away, giving place to a dark-
ness that was not awful or horrible, but soft
and restful. There was no giddiness or singing in the
ears, but silence and darkness settled down over me,
and then a red veil seemed to come from between my
eyes and to float away into the increasing gloom,
gradually diminishing to a red spot, the only speck
of light left. Slowly this faded away, and sight,
hearing, volitien, and every sense with it. I had a
dim consciousness of existence, but my very life
seemed far away, buried under masses of soft dark-
ness. I do not know whether I spoke, but my brain
was a blank, and not a thought crossed my mind. All
was numb, dead, and still, the silence of the grave,
but with a faint, indefinable consciousness somewhere
that this was not death, but only the suspension of
life. Darkness was all around; not a darkness that
might be felt, but one that filled everything, covered
everything, and blotted out everything with black im-
palpable and all-pervading presence.
Gradually and softly as it went the light came
back again, with no startled wonder as to where I was, ,
for almost before I could shape a thought II in-
stinctively remembered my position, and knew that the
operation was over. The figures in the room grew
- distinct and clear. I half rose up in bed, and then a
horrible feeling of nausea and pain rushed upon me.
I had lain down strong and well; 1 woke up weak
and throbbing with pain under my bandages and with
a sickness such as I had believed could only be pro-
duced in Alderney Race on board a cattle boat.
"Splendid," cried the surgeon cheerfully, "all
over, first rate!" and he turned down his shirt
sleeves after tossing away the towel with which he
had dried his hands. My first thought was to ask
the time. " Not much 'ore than a quarter of an
hour over it," was the reply; "I daresay you'll go to
sleep now; good bye.* During my trance they had
cut me and carved me, sewn me up and bandaged me
without my even knowing that I had been touched,
but I could hardly feel grateful to the anresthetic,
for the nausea it produced was so intense. My
mouth, throat, and lungs felt coated with ether and
dried with smoke, and I c, uld well imagine what
the mouth of a photographer's boy would be like
after a prolonged debauch on brown paper cigars
soaked in collodion. Still the either had savel me
from much suffering, and, what was of more im-
portance, had prevented the skill of the operator
- 'being baulked by sly '

w 17.

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