The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-12
ITS FIRST TEST
Doctors Give Chloroform q Trial
az an AnBsthetic.
gesrtlinG Rssults Obtained from Admins.
traeions Of the Cntried DruE-Dig-
nidsd Physicians in Gro
teeque Attitudes.

While the discovery Of anesthetics IN
surgery was made by an American it
Is claimed for three different men-yet
the first use Of chloroform for the pur-
pose was made by Dr., afterward Sir,
James Simpson. Chloroform is still
generally used by English surgeons,
while In this country most surgeons
prefer ether. A recent article in tho
Century by Miss Eve Simpson. his
daughter, gives an interesting account
Of her fathers experiments. In his
resolution to discover some new and
unobjectionable agent to produce in
sensibility under the surgeons knife
he was bold almost to rashness. He
tried every new compound first upon
himself. and then, with few devoted
medical friends, made further tests Of
all such as seemed to promise success.
In the year 1s47, especially. he had
been working hard, holding. with Prof.
Miller, DR.. Duncan and Dr.. Keith, q
sort of anasthetic seance every night
after supper. So many strange, IN.
pleasant and more or less dangerous
mixtures were tried by these gentle
men that one of them, Prof Miller,
made 1t his custom to make brief
call at breakfast time every morning
in order, as he would say, cheerfully.
to hear if any of the experimenters of
the evening before were dead yet.
1t was one evening in November,
after having tried several other sub
stances with little effect. that Dr.
Simpson bethought himself Of small
bottle of chloroform which he had
meant to try and which must be some
where about the place. A search was
instituted, and IL was found under q
heap of waste paper.
1t was tried at once. Immediately q
delightful excitement seized upon the
doctors; their talk became brilliant,
mirthful and then positively hilarious.
Prof. Miller, Mrs. Simpson, and one or
two members Of the family who were
present, became much interested IN
listening to the doctors as they expa-
tiated upon the charms, qualities and
agreeable effects Of the new fluid
Prof. Miller relates what ensued:
Suddenly there was a talk Of
sounds being heard like those Of a cot
ton mill, louder and louder moment
more, then all was quiet. and then a
crash!
ION awaking, Dr.. Simpsons first
was mental. This is far
stronger and better than ether said
he to himself. His second was to note
that he was PROSTATE on the floor, and
that among the friends about him
there was both confusion and alarm.
Hearing a noise, he turned about
and saw DIR. Duncan beneath a chair;
his jaw had dropped, his eyes were
his head was bent half under
him. He was quite unconscious, and
was snoring in a most determined and
alarming manner. More noise still
and much motion.
"Then his eyes overlook DR.. KefthA
feet and legs making valorous efforts
TO overturn the supper "a bic, or more
to annihiiate everything that
was on it. I say more probably for
repetitions Of inhalation have
in the case of my esteemed
friend, character for maniacal and
destructiveness, under
in the transition stage"
It is little wonder that Mrs Simpson
vas alarmed. But the daring doctors
we're extricated from among the legs
If chairs and tables, and soon recor-
red themselves and were filed with |
triumph at the success of their new
When DR.. Simpson be- |
anne Sir James Simpson, he took for |
lis motto Victo Dolore pain con-
which certainly meant more
md was more honorably earned Than
he notices Of most policemen and no
ia hro,coa