Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1847-04-03
The Inhalation Of the vapOr Of SuIphu-
ric Ether.


Within the last few months a nreat deal has been
said and written regarding a mode of obvating the
pam which felt by patients during the performance
of surgical operations; and very great number OF
experiments Of they may be so caIIeI) have been
tried both IN this country and in Europe, with view
TO test the efficacy of the process.
The plan adopted Is 10 the patient to lnhale
she vapor of sulphurc ether winch has the property
f acting on the nerves of sensation, TO render
the person totally inscnsibe to wounds with knife
o,her instrument This insensbIlIty to pain, how
ever does remain present for any length of time
but Of course, be kept up by repeated inhaa-
tons of the vapor of ether The action of the vapor
when re>Pired Is IN respect similar that which
observed IN the respiration Of the protoxide of nj
togen, or as It Is more popularity termed the laughing
gus Neither OF them give rise to those reactive
symptoms which observed to follow the use of or
binary stmuanis The property Of the ,apor of sui
phurIc ether, which now generally known, has
long been known 10 chemist, and ptarInacehtsts, in
Tact, numerous scientific men have remarked It, Du-
ring the winter OF lSl6. NJ Ducros of Paris, made a
report on this very subject the Academic des Sci
ence Of Paris and arrived the following conclu-
Physiological effects Of sulphurc ether admins
tered by friction on the mouth and faucus
l. Sulphuric ether, employed III frictons tie
mouth and faucus, causes, IN galInaceous animals,
instantaneous sleep characterized by closing Of the
eyes. and setting up (hfSs nent) of the feathers.
ue be given during this sleep, the sleep instead of
being augmented, Is Instantly destroyed; whence NJ
Ducros concludes that, the ganaceae, opiaes ere
the antid0tes to sulphurc ether.
3 Ii ether b. given in poisoning by opium, the
symptoms of poisoning increased
1. The sopOrferouS effects of ether thus admins
tered to fowls, also manifested IN other animals
and IN
;. In cases Of hypochondriasis attended with want
OF sleep with wandering pains in the chest and abdo-
men, sulPhurlc ether employed IN frct,Ons Oh the
tongue, velum pendulum, tonslls and back of the
pharynx, procures agreeable sleep and cams the
paa>, and especially possesses these advantages In
the midst Of excitement when rcotics only
tend 10 augment the general lrrtablIty.
D. 1t the commissions of pregnant child-bearing
women IN the commissions OF the new born, IN hys-
terIca attacks, III cplleptiform paroxysmS compca-
ted with trIsnas, (seng of the teeth,) and >pasm of
TIE G,ophagus. where swallowing Is Impracticable
It tie cavity of the mouth and parnyx rubbed by
means OF canes hair pencil dipped In suphurlc ether
tie nervous attacks which, by long Duration, might
prove fatal, usag generally be arrested
We extract the foregoing from the Journal If Ned
trt7s, published IN New York Ii may be found IN
Is 2Oh number. dated September 49, and the Jour
NJ = " fc5ae az n credits II to the English Pro-
tuetn " Iical and NRrgieai .journal, May g. lSi6
Undoubtedly the samnlferous results which NJ. Du-
70, found u attend the rubbing OF ether on the fuces
and nth owing tie great volatility OF that
soIred It produced It's effects.
though these ELECTS have thus been known, no par
ucuiar advantage was taken OF them until Dr. Nor
ton. dentist OF Boston conceived tie idea that they
might De made available during operations. On trial,
found such be the case Operations We're per-
formed the hospital there and conclusive evidence
vas obtained u Is great utility In these cases. A
patent vas taken out for the discovery and the - Lee
tileon,' a It termed by the patentees, at
once set before the public, article for enabling
patients to support surgical operations without beng
conscious Of them.
The application of ether to this purpose tray
eed across the Atlantic, and We now just receIv
IN back the reports Of It's and adoption there
We had an extensive notice OF It's use IN the LON
doa Lqqcet for tins month, repub>hed IN this city
by 4le>>rs Burgess, Strnger Y Co. 1t Is admlra-
Die periodical, and well worthy of per sal, 1t
be- looked upon the headquarters of all that doing
IN medicine aud surgery IN England. 1t contains re-
ports OF all the best lectures delivered the English
schools. and III fact, Itself perfect of
the Eng sh medical world In that number of the
LHtrsf there the details of thirty operations
performed IN England by some Of the most eminent
surgeon, there They took place IN Kings College,
Guys Westminster, and 81. Thomas hospitals, Lon
don. aud at tie Bristol General Hospitals aud. to
snow the degree Of nsn>btliiy induced, we extract
the account Of one Gaze at Guys Hospital
= Jan 18th, I-I7.-Iwo patients operated on
to-day whilst under the influence of ether inhaled
one case OF lthotomy, by Mr.. Morgan the other,
case OF strunguaied ing lnal hernia, by Mr.. hey.
There present, Mr.. Galloway, Mr.. Cock. Mr..
Hilton and other officers OF the hospital. IN the dense
is crowded theatre bv students and professional
The subject Of the stone boy about fourteen
years oid-had. few days before, been put under tie
M fence Of the ether very satisfactorily, for the pur-
pose O avoiding the intense pam he had Prev
ous suffered by the Introduction OF the sound.
lie rendered quite nsensI bic To the pan-indeed,
be had not irt the sounding. To-day. alarmed by the
4
when TIE operation table, = to take his pipe as
be termed but ultimately, yielding to the socita-
tous Of those about him he inhaled somewhat rreg-
ularly, from an apparatus under tie direction Of Mr..
Robinson. for about three four minutes, when he
became perfectly UNCONSCIOUS, breathing slowly, and
the face much conge-ted During the persistence of
that condition, Mr.. Morgan began and completed the
operation about two minutes. without the slightest
manifestation of pain by the patient. Vapor OF am
mona and otter sjmulans used as soon as the
operation finished. The patient taken from
the theatre IN insensIbe state. In few minutes
he recovered from lnsensiblty, after being his bed,
bat continued confused for some time. On being told
that the operation was concluded, he did believe
II. as he had not felt any hing still persIstng IN his
doubts, the stone was shown to him. yet lie dlsbeeved,
saying, No, no, that won't do that stone never
coined from |, [ know :.
The remaining operations generally went off as
satisfactorily this one though in case, at St
Thomas Hospital, dangerous symptoms made thell
appearance.
JAN 9-The ether first inhaled by patient
strong man, of full habit with disease of the hand
requiring operation. The inhalation performed
b. means Of Mr. H)oper's apparatus, devised by
Dr. Boot and Mr. Robinson, and perfect Insenslblity
was produced There were, however, 50 much cough
ing, turgdy Of the face quickened circulation, with
dil-tlon OF the pupils, threatening congestion OF The
brain and lungs. that thought proper by DR.
Leeson and Mr.. MackmursIo to continue the Inhala
L.. L.. L.. .t.....t