Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-11

large number Oh the dentists OF New York
city met for the second time on last Friday
evening, to give their testimony as to the effects
of ether and chloroform. Though some differ
ence of opinion existed, yet their combined
testimony, we think, establishes conclusiyely
that il would be unsafe to treat as reliable the
statement Of any persons, respecting what oc-
CURED to them while under the influence OF
either of these agents. We subjoin the expe-
riences of several Of these gentlemen:
DIR. Coogill had not had 80 much experience as
some in chloroform. He had given ether TO a
| young lady, who became subdued and unconscious
of pain !, yet low whisper which he addressed to
the attending physician at the moment of extrac-
tion was fully understood by the lady, and after
ward repeated He had never seen any impropn-
ETY. in any patient, lady or gentleman. He had
seen what might be called hallucination He had
given ether in certainly more than twenty cases (;
could not say whether In a hundred or five hum
dred He had seen insensibility to pain, yet at
| the same time consciousness OF what was trans
piring Much depended on the amount of etheri-
zation-either might be given till almost death was
| produced
Dr. Beadel had seen ladies' under the influence
| Of chloroform catch the dentist around the neck
and hold him half an hour, behaving very improp-
erly. He thought the use Of cloroform ought to be
| discarded.
| DR.. Foster thought the Beale verdict was con
trary to the law and the evidence. DR.. Beale did
wrong in administering nm an9sthetic agent with
out an assistant. Dr. Y. had administered ether to
young lady. There was determination of blood
| to the head and other alarming symptoms. He was
obliged to lay the lady on the hoor There being no
sofa) and open her dress, in order to restore her.
| II any person had come in at the time, suspicion
might easily have fallen on him.
| DR.. Griswold had given ether TO strong man,
/ who exhibited the face and actions Of the maniac.
After the effects had passed off, he said he thought
he had been in his dstillery, and swearing at man
who was allowing his machinery to 60 wrong He
| said he would have been sure of this, did not the
circumstances show him he was deluded DR.. G..
had given chlosoform to young lady, who threw
her arms around his neck, drew his head down.
and showed signs Of affection. The skin is NOR
bidly sensitive. A slight touch is felt as blow
cdr Marvin had generally seen chlorofom pro-
duce insensibility, but not always. In one case a
young lady became insensible recovered, relapsed,
and then showed signs of amorousness In another
| case man made revelations which he would not
| have made in his senses He then became violent,
next wanted all his teeth extracted. He had never
heard such strings of oaths as he uttered In an
other case lady, in the presence of her physician
having taken chloroforn in large quantities. scream
ed necessarily. She afterwards explained that she
| of gate, that she was pounded, and then turned
adrift among herd of cattle who were horning her
to DEATH For several weeks, she said, on going to
bed and closing hercye she saw the cattle and gate
as il they were real; but Of course she knew she
was deluded.
DIR. Main related case that occurred at DR..
Thayer's, No. 13 West Twenty-sixth street. The
patient, on recovering asked the $40 bill he said
he had won it on bet, on running in the Hippo
drome. Another thought he was riding, and had
oysters and toddy. A Frenchman thought he had
been imprisoned, and wanted bail Another man
| thought he had been to supper. In another case,
| lady when single, always thought she was mar
ried and had baby; now that she is married. and
has baby, she always thinks that she is single
and not mother. Another lady thought she had
| been riding, got upset, and broke limb. A boy
thought he was fishing. lady thought she was
putting on new shoes and stockings. A negro
woman thought she was eating cakes. A lady
thought she was planting flowers. A girl, although
a rigid Catholic, denounced the priest, and called
| the religion humbug.
DIR. ]. w. Smith, of Brooklyn, had used ether
considerably. The effects differ in many cases from
those Of chloroform; ether excites much more !;
chloroform is more easily controlled. A very ath.
lctic man, under ether, made pugilistic manifesto
tions attempted to strike DR.. s. then struck the
wall very violently-whcreont the ether disappeared.
A lady thought herself fowergarden, and said
she could not be persuaded to the contrary had she
not found herself on recovering, in the doctors
Office. Had the attending circumstances permit
ted the possibility of the Authorization being true
the lady would have believed 1t an actual occur
renee. As to permanency, man thought he had
been in he'll the idea continued to haunt him, and
did to the last moment DIR. s. knew him. 1t was
the only point on which he was insane. His mind
was so disturbed that he lost his business He was
put In the New York Hospital on being taken out
the deluson continued for year, |. G.. TO the la
test time DR.. s. heard of him.
DR.. s had given II TO three patients and the
effects always varied. In one case lady left the
chair in Wild state, and used obscene and profane
language she rushed from one room to another,
and into the hail. DR.. SIS partner, DR.. Bridges,
had related to him a case In which the sexual or
gans were excited. He did not believe this to be
aspccifc effect but In some cases the effect was
produced. No sober man would bring in the
Beale verdict. To bring in such a verdict, and
then recommend to mercy, showed the Jury 10 be
inssne or drunk. New York shall not wait for
Philadelphia in coming to the aid Of DR.. Beale.
DR., 3 thought the best course for the meeting was
merely TO give their experience individuals might
sign petition II they pleased DR.. Smiley had
used ether in about fifty cases had found pugua-
city produced.
married lady, under chloroform, threw her
arms round his neck, declaring she had loved him
iof years. ANU nibnh VI tle uhuloSt poSri-
BILE excitement, mental and physical. Another
married lady bad teeth extracted under choroform;
same night she went from her house In her night
clothes, and mingled with the crowd at a fire.
Dr. Smith, ~. w, mentioned another case, In
which lady had been excited 10 the utmost pos
iblc degree. The same lady has been thrown into
habit Of melancholy forcboding by the use Of chic
reform. He corroborated DR.. Rich In saying that
loss Of consciousness always prccedes loss Of mus
cular power.
E In copying, a few days ago the CORES
pondcncc between Mr.. Mason and the French
Minister Of Foreign Affairs, in regard TO the
Soule affair, we omitted TO credit Il to the New
York Times, in which paper II was first pub
lished. The synopsis OF the report Of the
Secretary Of the Navy was derived from the
same source.
The American Organ, the new Know-Nothing
journal at Washington, rejoices over the recent
election In Massachusetts, the quietus Of all OPP
position to slavny in that State. According to
this authority the American party comes into be-
ing in Massachusetts,, as II docse elsewhere for the