The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-05
Wonders OF Modern Surgery.

The progress Of modern surgery is most IN
terestingly discussed in an article in the March
number OF the Atlantic Monthly.
The first great and radical step in modern
progress was the introduction Of what the
doctors call anesthetic agents: Ether was
hroneht into use ON the 30th Of March, 1876,
bv Dr. Morton, of Boston, who extracted a
tooth ffom o man without pain, by first
putting him under the influence OF ether. Dr.
6. Jackson, the geologist claims to have made
the first suggestion Of ether, and did, unques-
tionably, suggest great caution IN the use OF 1t.
Chloroform was discovered by Sir j. Y. Simp-
son, surgeon of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the as
&, 4th OF November, 1847. Now no operation OF
magnitude is performed without the aid OF In
sensibiity to pain, produced either by ether,
chloroform or some other anesthetic agent.
II seems as far back as the thirteenth century
the idea Of painless operations was care
fully considered, but though. treated OF by
one Theodoric was apparently laid aside ID "a as
Old SURGEONS was apparently to produce in
sensibility in the operator IN intiictins sui
fering. By the local application Of sufficient
degree OF cold, insensibillty can be produced
in any desired part, 80 that man with most
e1quisitely painful wound on his arm. or felon
On hle finger. can now lock quietly down, in his
perfect senses, upon the knife as it enters his
rations without giving him the least pain.
Modern science has constructe an instrument
by which vapor Of ether, or other volatile
substance, is thrown out IN the form Of spray,
which 30 rapidly absorbs the natural heat of
the parts Of the body exposed to its operations
as to produce perfect insensibility to pain,
without the loss OF volition or consciousness.
This evaporation is 80 potent that the great
Faraday was able to produce ice in red hot
cruclblel DR.. Henry J. Bgelow, or Boston, has
introduced the use CT rhigolene, O product of
petroleum, which is extremely volatile, and
will freeze up the skin and textures beneath
in few seconds, fifteen degrees OF cold below
zero being easily produced in few minutes
Artificial legs and arms are now manufactur-
ed, which are light and have all the movements
Of natural joints, by means of springs, cords
and wheels, and are 80 perfectly adapted to use
that 1t Is by no means easy to discover which
is the natural and which the artificial limb,
when the wearer is once used to wearing the
work Of art. One man boasts, 81 can carry an
armful OF wood quite handily," or 'carry pail
of water with ease;" and another says, 81 was
fitted with pair of artificial hands, and can
feed myself very we'll with them, also can write
30 as to be read" Another declares he has
driven a horse "twenty miles on the coolest
day, without calling on his other hanRfor as
sistance." This is great improvement on the
iron hook, which was the best substitute that
old surgery could affix to the stump. These
artificial limbs, however, are triumphs Of me-
chanical ingenuity, rather than Of surgery.
French surgeon has in ented I'm instru-
ment he calls the ecrdSeur, or. crusher, to per-
form operations dangerous in surgery, On ac-
count OF the loss OF blood from tho smaller
vessels, If performed with knife 1t is formed
OF g fine chain gathered into loop, which en-
closes the part to be removed, and by turning
screw the chain ls tightened till the parts are
separated The blunt chain SO turns mn or
twists the ends of the blood vessels that hem.
crrhage is prevented. A child was born with
tongue so much too long that it protruded
three Or four inches from ner mouth, so that
she could not masticate food, or shut her,
mouth, or speak. Yet, when about fifteen years
old the influence of chloroform, the ecraseur
was applied, the superfuous portion Of the
tongue removed, and now she talks, sings and
eats with ease.
The eye is now examined by an instrument
called the ophthalmascope, by which the
depths CT the globe of the eye can be readily
and fully explored, and throug n it's aid great
deal OF what has been written and coniectured
about diseases OF the eye has been found to be
wrong. The intricate passages of the ear, the
nose, the whole OF the ''windpipe" and pas
sages to the lungs, are now carefully explored
Perhaps one Of the best results of modern
science has been through what is called conser
vative surgery, the rule OF which is to save all
that possibly can be saved from the amputatine
knife. Many Of our brave soldiers complained
OF the reckless haste with which, In the late
war, some surgeons would cut of arms and
legs on account OF trifing wounds. The COM