Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-11-28

One Of the Surgeons Of the Massachusetts,
Hospital, Dr.. BIeELow. resd paper before the
Boston Society for Medical Improvement, on
tho 9th instant, announcing discovery Of great
interest. 1, is a method Of mitigating pain in
surgical operations by the inhalation Of certain
cihcrs. Dr.. MoRroS, of Boston, fret called his
attention TO il; and though q similar process
does not appear to have been entirely unknown
10 the medical faculty in former times, yet no.
thing like certainty was obtained in the results
ofthc OLD me'hods. A great many experiment.
have been made with the new, however, in all
OF which thc attempts TO perform important op.
era'ions without inhicing pain on the patients
were completely successful. Many ofthese are
described in Dr.. DroEiow's paper, Of which the
'ollo~ing are specimens:
boy Of sixteen. Of medium stature aud
strength, was seated in The chair. The first
few inhalutions occasioncd quick cough, VIII ch
afterwards subsidcd st the end of eight min.
utes the head fell back, and the arms dropped.
but owing TO some resistance in opening the
mouth, thc tooth could not DC reached before he
awokr. lie again inhaled fnrtwo minutes, and
slept three minutes, during which time the
tooth, an inferior molsr, was extracted. AT the
moment of extraction the features assumed on
expression Of pain. and the hand was raised
Upon coming to himself he said he had first
rate dream-very quiet, and had dreamed of
NsPoleon--had not the slightest Consciousness
81 s.-
the chair. feeling no uncssinrss of any kind, and
evidently in a high state of admiration. The
pupils were dilated during the state Of uncon.
seriousness, and the pulse rose from 100 to li2
girl OF sixteen immediately occupied the
chaif.-After coughing little. she inhaled du.
ring three miun,es, aud fell asleep, when a mo.
lar tooth wns extracted. after which she cont,
nued TO slumber TRANQUILITY during three min.
utes more. AT the moment when inrce was
applied she finched and frowned. roset her
hand To her month, but said she had been trca.
ming pleasant dream and knew nothing of
the operation
A stout boy oftwelvc. at the firs, inspiration
coughed considerably, and required good deal
of encouragement TO induce him t., 90 on. Al
The end of three minutes from the first fair in.
haiation the muscles were relaxed and the pn.
pii diliAted. During the attempt 10 frce open
the mouth he recovered his consciousness, and
again inhaled during two minutes, and in thu
ensuing one minute two teeth were extracted.
the patient seeming somewhat conscious. but
upon actually swaking he declared "it was the
best fun he ever .aw." nvowed his intention
to come there again. ind insisted upon having
another tooth extracted upon the spo'.-A splin
ter which had been left, afforded an oppor,uni.
ty Of complying with his wish. hut the pa in pro-
we'd to be considerable. Pulse at first no. dn
ring sleep 9s, afterwards 144 +; pupils dlotd.
The next patient was healthy looking. mid
dle.aged woman, who inhaled the vapor for four
minutes; in the course of the next two m mites
back tooth was extracted and The patient con.
timed smiling in her sleep for three minutes
more. Pulse l20, not affected at the moment
Of the operation. but smaller during sleep. L..
pom coming to herself, she exclaimed that at
was besutiful-she dreamed of being at home
il seemed as il she had been gone n month -
These cases, which occurred succe ssively in
about an hour, at the room nf DR.. Morton. are
fair examples OF the average results produced
BY the inhalation OF the vapor, and will convey
an idea of the feelings and expressions OF many
o. the patients subjected 10 the process. DR..
Moron states that in upwards Of two hundred
patients, similar effects have been prm.uced
The inhalation, afier the first irritation has sub.
sided, is easy, and produces complete uncon
sciousness at the expiration Of period varying
from Two TO five or six, some, mes eigh, minutes
during which the patier, is completely insens
BILE TO the ordinary tes,s Of pain.
PAINFUL SURGICAL OrrRArioS DIR. Wagon
seller Senator from Union CouGiy, had panfn