The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-01-17

accustomed 10 its use.
Dr. CUISINES experience was limited
lie said he had always thought these
things unfit for dental practice.
Dr. HAzLETT related a case of a youny
married lady, of marked religious and
affectionate disposition, who became his
patient. She applied to him with severe
pain from the badly liberated root of n
deca!ing tooth. He was induced to send
tor the presence of one of her female
tnends. lie began to give her tie ether,
and AS gradually she felt its excitement,
she caught him round the neck in the
lost endear'ng manner. 1t is well, OBJ
served the doctor, to push the ether to in
sens'biIlty; hyou stop short of complete
sleep, headache resslts. lie took out two
roots, she revived and looked alarmed, but
perceiVlng tue other lady in the room, her
manner became reassured.
In another case, the sister of a'physician
struggled SO long and violently that she
rolled on the floor, suggesting (but for the
presence OF third party) the impossible
~ oi easily rebu:ting any erroneous i'm
Press'ons on the mind of the patient. He
had noticed in several cases-cSpccially
those occurring under the altered condi-
lions OF the female system at certain peri.
ods-that on the recovery of conscious
ness some persons seem to have a vague
recollection of whist has been their morbid
impression. In the first case, the pa,ieut
seemed afterwards conscious Of having Vi.
oIated the ordinary proprieties of her sex.
In some cases ho had known women to
assert they had been at Il party, and fre.
quently an erroneous impression becomes
more or less permanent.
DIR. llURD, of Williamsburgh, first tried
ether on himself, and described his viii n.
sical sensations his head felt rs large rs
baTel. 1t is difficult to force the produc-
eel impression from the mind, however
fantastical. All seems as real as if it were
truly SO, though common sense teaches
the contrary; and but for the conviction
OF his reason, the recollection OF his sensa.
uons is the recollection of reality.
lie related case where, in presence
of her husband, a lady under influence of
ether followed or rather chased himself,
the operator, round the room, attordiug
most unmistakablc signs Of perverted feel
lug, so much SO that her mortified hus
band desired him not to give her any
more. DIR. Bennett was also present.
She begged for ether with increasing eag-
erness after the first dose he did not,
however, in that state, remove the diseased
teeth. DIR. Keys extracted them some
time after.
a desultory discussion ensucd as to the
definition Of the word "halucination."-
The sense of the meeting seemed to be
that the morbid perception to which the
word is applied is more lasting, as well
as stronger, when produced by ether or
chIorotorm than any other species Of false
impression.
DIR. Morgan had useL ether in about
one hundred cases; his experience was
much the same as that Of previous speak
ers
DR.. Peck, Of Grant Street, said that an
idea, presented us the patient becomes af-
fectcd by the ether, often remains during
its action. lie mentioned confrmatory
instances. One gentleman, not fully un.
der its influence, tainted and recovered
several times in succession. lie observed
that, though in the conatose state the
breathing is slower, on recovery and re-
action The pulse and breathing are quick
ened. and henaorrhaye from the socket or
Jro"' other sources is apt to occur.
DIR. 5. ". Parmely, of New York,
never took and never gave ether. He
related several cases which he had seen.
In one young lady complained that her
head was Jammed i'll by the walls and
pressed by the ceiling OF the room, COM
planning most pteously. In another, a
female in ill-health, and suffering religious
dependency, was afrail that the opera.
ton would kill her. On recovering, she
said, "Oh dear, am | alive?" and ex-
planned that she supposed she had died,
and was in hell. Thinks to this hour
that the picture was correct, though her
reason tells her the impression was no,
reality.
One man imagined he was a horse :;
could recollect how he fancied he was
prancing roand the ring to show his own
PAGES, and actually did cry out "seyen
years old and fine !, in fact, added the
doctor, in reviewing few similar cases
which had fallen under his own notice
Il would not believe the testimony of nv
own wife as to anything she might relate
while she was under the influence of ether
or chloroform." IIalIucinations NAV be
either temporary or permanent. If tenn
porary, 1t Is due to the force Of circum-
stantial evidence to the contrary, appeal
ing to the brain in its healthy condition,
and overcoming the morbid impression.-
Ii more permanent, it is because the
means Of disproof are not present, direct
ly appealing to the mind of the patient,
when there is no sister or mother present
to contradict the false impression.
DIR. Putnam took out twenty-eiobt
stumps and teeth from a female. She
said she had been much abused, that he
bad taken her TO Jersey City and abused
her in the ferry-boat but after many at.
tempts to console her, she said she would
try to believe what the lady told her who
had been present during the operation.-
The doctor said be had preserved written