The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-06-01
chLoRoFoRM's ADVENT.


The First Trial 1T the Anesthctic by stnap-
son. Its Di-covercr.
While the discovery Of an@sthctics
in surgery was made by an American
lit is claimed by three di Terent men
yet the first Use of chlos oform for
the purpose was made by DR.. after
ward Sir james, Simpson. In his res
olution 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 devot-
nj medical friends made further
tests of all such as seemed to promise
success.
In the year ls47 especially he had
been working hard. holding, with
Professor Miller, DR.. Duncan and DIR.
Keith. n sort Of anRsthetic seance
every night after supper. So many
strange, unpleasant and more or less
dangerous mixtures were tried by
these gentlemen that one OF them,
Professor Miller, made it his custom
to make brief call Mt 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.
It was one evening in November,
after having tried several other sub
stances with little effect, that DIR.
Simpson bethought himself OF a
small bottle of chloroform which he
had meant to try and which must be
somewhere about the place. Asearch
was instituted, and it was found un
der a heap of waste paper.
1t was tried at once. Immediately
a delightful excitement seized upon
the doctors. Their talk became bril-
liant, mirthful and then positively
hilarious. Professor Miller, Mrs.
Simpson and one or two members OF
the family who were present became
much interested in listening to the
doctors as they expatiated upon the
charms, qualities and agreeable ef-
fects Of the new fluid. Professor
Miller relates what ensued:
Suddenly there was talk OF
sounds being heard like those OF a
cotton mill, louder and louder-a mo-
|ment more, then all was quiet, and
then crash.
ION awaking DR.. Simpsons first
perception was mental. This is far
stronger and better than ether, he
said to himself. His second was to
note that he was PROSTATE on the
floor, and that among the friends
about him there were both confusion
and alarm.
Hearing q noise, he turned about
and saw DR.. Duncan beneath q chair
} His jaw had dropped; his eyes were
staring; his head was bent half un
der him. He was quite unconscious
and was snoring in most deter
mined and alarming manner. More
noise still and much motion.
Then his eyes overlook DIR
. Keith's feet and legs making valor
; GUS efforts to overturn the supper Ia
BILE, or more probably to annihilat'
Everything that was on it. ! say
more probably, for frequent repeti
, tons Of inhalation have confirmed
J in the case Of my esteemed friend,
character for maniacal and unre
: strained destructiveness under chic
: reform in the transition stage"
: It is little wonder that Mrs. Simp
son was alarmed. But the daring
, doctors were extricated from among
: the,Iegs of chairs and tables ant
soon recovered themselves and wer
! filled with triumph at the success o
their new anasthetic. When Dr.
/. Simpson became Sir James Simpson
he took for his motto "Victo Delore
d pain conquered), which certainl
r meant more and was more honor
J, ably earned than the notices q
q most noblemcn and noble houses. u
u Century.