Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-09
THE EFFECTS OF cHLoRoFoRM.

The recent trial and conviction of Dr. SrKpaEs e.
BEALE dentist, in the Criminal Court OF Philadelphia has
led to searching inquiry to the effects Of ether ana
chloroform upon patients A meeting Of the lesdinr
dentists Of New York has been held for the purpose OF
considering the subject and nterchangng the results Of
their respective experience There present at The
meeting about forty gentlemen, sixteen of whom gays
their opinions. We extract few Of them:
Dr. BURRAs related several cases which had coraa nm
der his observation One Of the first cases in which liz
tried it that of his sister She very speedily mani
Tested its peculiar agency placed her brothers hat hc
head put on his coat and nursed the sofa pillows her
lap completely forgetting all she had done when she be-
came rational and conscious He stated two other cases
in which it produced kind Of Authorization in one OF
them young man attacked him, snpposng him to be
robber and in the other young lady accused him Of
sappng her in the face and would be convinced thnt
ne had not except by the testimony Of another lady who
present.
Dr. BARLOW said he had witnessed the use of 1t in no
less than fifteen hundred cases He was in the hsba
Of using it three four times week. He had known
in which both shd and did things which thes
would not In ordinary conditions sometimes diyugn he
most delicate secrets.
Dr. BURDELL corroboraed the statements of the uye-
ceding speaker He had observed that almost invariably
there IS strange msconstrucon Of passing events. e
related very strong instance in point. gentlamnn
brought lady to have tooth removed; he wished her
to use ether After the operation over she saia=
George what did you kiss for you took advassags
Of me- Now observed the doctor, had not the person
and present, it would have been morally impossible 80
correct erroneous painful impression and harfy
possible even then Improper feelings had often been
manifested by his patients.
DR.. CROWLEY related two cases A young LADY, CANA
to have her tooth extracted accompanied by her mother
No sooner it removed than she angry complained
that he had very rudely kissed her. and OF
her mother could convince her the contrary So strong
y riveted is the impression that though years ag
his asking her at Saratoga il she had got rid Of shas
foolish impression she said Oh that's nonsense JON
know you did," In another woman insisted tha4
he threw her the Aoor and knseled her while he
moved tooth.
Dr. Francis had extracted teeth from lady wh
thought they taken from her child He told also Of
two wedressed ladies who called on him professionally
One OF them while under the influence of chloroform
used language Of the ridiculous profane and ess
obscene description. When recovered she seemed per-
fecty unconscious Of having uttered any improper express
sion, and apparently not accustomed to its use
Dr. HuHD related where in presence of her hns-
band, lady under the influence Of ether followed or
rather chased himself the OPERATOR round the M
fordng most unmisakable signs of perverted feeling 40
much SO that her mortified husband desired him
give her any more.
Dr. DREssLER stated that he had several hundred
In one of these young lady persisted that he had
given her kiss and but for the presence of her mother
he had no means Of proving the contrary.
Many other gentlemen gave their experience ali CT
which tended to corroborate the fact that strange impr
sons often produced in the minds of those who tas
ether and sometimes such lead them to commit
mproprietes Several Of the speakers expressed thar
earnest convictions Of the innocence Of Dr. BnALR
New Hampshire physician, in letter made public IA
scrbes ether nearly quite dethronng reason
times for hours, and frequently hurrying the magnnsio
and the feelings through ndescribabe scenes and VISIONS
in the widest tumult. The mass of testimony clicked
proves one thing at eastthat the Of ether is dam
gerous experiment to be avoided if possible and 40
of the speakers remarked that the operation Of exiacs
ing tooth is Of too trivial nature to require it.