The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-26
PRACTICE SURGERY WITHOUT PAIN
Claimed that n German has Discovered a
New Method OF Deadening the Feeling.

Philadelphia, Nov. 25.-The meeting
OF the Philadelphia County Medical So
ciety last evening was rendered partic-
ularly interesting on account Of the
presentation of a paper by DR.. T. Par
vim, on the new method OF aboliShing
the pain of surgical operations without
the necessity of employing ether or
chloroform. This is the system sug-
gested and practiced by the well known
German surgeon. Schleich, who, by its
use, has been able to perform practically
all of the minor and many Of the major
operations Of surgery without the
slightest pain to the patient and with
out depriving him in any other way Of
his consciousness.
By the method of Schleich there are
prepared three solutions of common
salt, in which are dissolved different
quantities Of muriate of cocaine and
morphia. The part TO he operated upon
is thoroughly cleansed with an anti
septic solution, and the surface brought
to a low temperature by spray OF
chloride of ethyl. Into this area of the
skin, which, by the action of the spray,
has been deprived Of all sensation, the
salt solution containing the cocaine and
morphine is injected by means of a
special hypodermic syringe, numerous
punctures being made in all directions.
This renders the deeper structures in
sensible to the surgeons knife, and for
a period of from twenty minutes TO half
an hour the patient is not conscious, so
far as actual pain is concerned, OF ex-
tensive cutting and sewing.
The new method differs in an inpor-
tant degree from the ordinary employ
ment of hypodernic injections of CO.
caina Tho Strap0rh Of tho drr1or ico
has been used in the past is about one
part in each twenty-five parts of the
solution, while in the Schleich method
there is often employed strength of
only l in 10000. In the former, how
ever, only a few drops of the solution
are employed. while in the latter the
tissues surrounding the part to be OPP
Grated upon are thoroughly infiltrated
with the solution. With the small
quantity of the cocaine employed by
DR.. Schleich. ii is apparent that some
thing more than cocaine is responsible
for the local anaesthesia so perfectly
obtained. In the opinion OF Drs. Keen.
Ashhurst and Morton, who discussed
the merits of the new system, the in
filtration of the tissues with the solu-
ton, and the distension and consequent
pressure upon the small nerves were re-
sponsible in a large measure for the
absence Of pain when the incision by
the knife is made.
To indicate the method of employing
the method of Schleich and to show the
entire absence Of pain. one of the sur
geons had the solution inserted beneath
the skin OF the arm, and an incision an
inch long made and sewed up before the
society last evening.
In the discussion it was generally
conceded. both from the results achiev-
ed by the German sergeon and the ex-
periments made in a number of cases
in this city. that decided advance had
been made in the field of anaethetics,
and that for large number Of opera
tons the utilization method would en-
tirely supersede the general anaesthe-
STA by ether and chlOrofOrm