The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-05
up by dentists and physicians all over the
country and by others who, through ig-
norance or recklessness, were and are
oky,oi,~ -

up by dentists and physicians all over the
country and by others who, through ig.
norance or recklessness, were and are
abusing it.
Twenty years ago Dr.. Ferdinand Has
brouck, then already we'll known to the
dental profession as q skillful manipulation
Of the forceps. directed his attention par
ticularly to the extraction of teeth without
pain. BY continued effort and careful ex-
leriment he quickly determined that, pro-
yiding the gas was pure nitrous oxide and
properly administered, no accident was
possible. and THAI the operation of extract
ing teeth while the patient was under it's
influence was absolutely painless, whilo the
after effects were but of a few moments
duration and pleasant rather than other
wise. Statistics show that there has never
yet been q single death caused by the in-
hnlatlon of pure nitrous oxide.
1t is very amusing to read the startling
advertisements which are occasionally pub
lished by charlatanss pretendera to the origin
OF laughing gas and its application in don
tistry. It would not be surprising if the
original discovery of the peculiar properties
Of nitrous oxide were purely accidental. We
can be absolutely certain, however, that its
application to the painless extraction Of
teeth was the result OF accident. In proof Of
this DR.. John NJ. Riggs writes to DIR. Has
brouck in 1872 All account of the exhibition
which he. accompanied by DR.. Horace Wells,
witnessed when the idea frat occurred to the
latter gentleman that laughing gas might be
successfully used Us an anesthetic. cat
that exhibition" says DR.. Riggs. CDR.
horace Wells was present. and then and
there conceived the idea, from an accident.
that tho gas could be used to extract teeth
without pain" Then, after describing how
Wells determined to have a tooth extracted
under its influence, he goes on to say he
invited the party-Colton, Cody and two
ntha R-tn n0n,A Nv orl x,itrAss %hn rro-n
ton: l WAS attending to a patient, but was
awaiting Wells return. When l entered
Wells Office the seid party was there. Wells
took bis seat in the operating chair. lex
amined the tooth so ns to be ready to oper-
ate without delay. Wells took the bag in
his lap. held the tube to his mouth and in
hailed until insensibility relaxed the mus
Giles of his arms, his hands fell on his
breast, his head dropped OF the head-rest,
and l instantly passed the forceps into the
mouth on to the tooth and extracted it.
Mr.. Cotton, Cody and the two others stood
by the open door, ready to run out if Wells
jumped up from the chair and made any
did he not get up? Briefly. because he could
not. Our agreement the night previous
was to push the administration to a
point hitherto unknown. We know not
death or success confronted us.
Ii was n terra incognito we were bound to
explore. The result is known to the world.
No one but Wells and myself knew to what
point the inhalation was to be carried, The
result was painfully pr]oblematicsl to us,
but the great law of nature hitherto un-
known WAS kind to us and Il grand discov-
cry was born into the world. Now, do not
understand me as claiming joint discovery
with DR.. Wells. The great iden, or ~inspita-
ton, WAS his; that we elaborated it together
was honor enough for me, l have no feel
ing in this matter. except in the interest Of
truth, right and Justice. For the credit of
Cotton, | can any he made the gas, gave
a bag of 1t to DR.. Wells to experiment. with,
witnessed the operation of extracting tho
first tooth md went on his way to other
cities with his grand exhibitions and
eight strong men to make Thorn laugh
more than they have for tho six months