The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-08-13
NOVEL CURE FOR NEURALGIA.
A Tennessee Physician's Experience with
Ether Spray.
Dr.. Mccolganan IN ne Southern ptact,,ioner.

Dr., McColgdnan in the southern Practitioner.
In the spring of 1869 we had the most
severe attack of facial neuralgia which il has
been our lot to witness in more than eighteen
years OF practice; for two weeks wc had to con-
ine ourselves TO n darkened chamber and the
lightest football on the floor caused us the most
general, regular and irregular. were tried
without any abatement. Of the trouble. one
side OF our face was terribly swollen. much
so that it was impossible to extract IA dccnyed
molar to which we charged all our suffering.
OH this mortal coil by exhaustion from pain
and want Of sleep. We finally concluded to in
cise the swollen Jaw. thinking there was an
ah>cess about the root OF the docnyed tooth, and
~ the parts were so extremely sensitive. and
moreover, having vague dread Of chioroform.
Wa Thought We would try local ana,sthesia by
evaporatihg ether on the surface until tho part
was iroZcn. Our attendant complied with our
instruction. and the spray was turned on The
hrSt sensation Was one of cutting pain, Eradu-
ally snhsding until when conGelation took
plaGG we let perfectly easy. and ordered the
hours we slept the sleep OF the righteous. and
when we awoSe found tho ,WJ9r ct h,"tor,
ana to. This good day. although we carry
twingc or touch of that hell o. disease"
,t9othache We'll, to he honest about it. we
did not ut the time give the freezing process
any credit for the cure; we thought the attack
had about spent ts force and was going to act
To- the matter for year or more, when rela-
tive, Capt. Harris. was visiting us and took a
spel! oil neuralgia which he had for over u year
been periodically afflicted with. rarely passing
II month without an attnck. 10 give him
present ease for We did not think Of any pcr- !
lhaheht oehoilt, we tried the spray all along the !
track 81 the affected nerve and until it turned !
the skin white, The reet was immediate. and.
he has since informed me permanent.
Since then We have used ii in fifteen or
twenty cases with uniform success never hay
Ing 10 make more than two applications and |
IL came To DO n stock remedy, and we thought |
that III all probability Was so with most physi- |
Clhns Tor We remember that when richardson |
first Introduced IL like all new things in medi- |
cine. II was Wanted tor svcrythinRl and would |
hhdn' called on us some time ago to know IL |
We hadn't Il new treatment for neuralgia and |
stated that couple Of years ago he was on a |
steamboat and was suffering with that disease
when Capt. Harris informed him that he was
cured ny some sort OF a freezing process. and
advised him 10 try il. When tho boat reached
Louisville ne called on two or three dentists
and three of the most distinguished surgeons
Of the city, and they told him they knew OF no
such remedy for neuralgia. and advised him
not 70 nave anything OF the kind done. On
hearing his story we looked over old medical
Journals and found not a single illusion to local
Rnnsthesia as remedy for neuralgia,
Now we must confess that all this sounds
very much Ike the story Of the suporannuated
clergyman who accidentally. while in the West
indies. discovered cure for consumption.
only we don't want any one to send II stamp for
particulars. Any physician can purchase a
hand-0all atomlzer for $3.50, and try II. They
may use either rhigolene or ether. and 1t viii
part until the skin turns white. We promised a
TO oiIer no theory for Its action. but we will |
venture this opinion: That the intense cold by
in the nntrition OF the nerve what this change
Is we VIII not at present venture to assert, only
hoping that othsrs who have better opportuni-
1ed VIII give tho alter trial and fully testit.