The evening times., 1895-11-16
DOCTORS ARE INTERESTED
Pref Parvin's Paper Read in Phil
adeiphia Discussed Here.
He Suggests II New Anaest iletic That
Is Both Effective and Harmless.
What Our Physicians Think.

The medical fraternity OF Washington ID
ings or the County Medical Society, now in
annual session at Philadelphia. Though
the convention is purely local in cha ra cter,
yet the Quaker City boasts of many physi-
cjn"- ranking among the most renowned
in the country. 1t is therefore rea sonable
that expressions from them should be
fraught with unusual weight.
One or the papers recently read, product
i've of the most interest among physicians
in this city, was that of Prof. Theopiilus
Parvin, in relation to Il new method of per-
forming painless operations.
1t has long been a medical query how to
secure harmless anaesthetic, that is, one
that will deaden the pain and at the same
time have no dangerous or injurious effect
upon the patient Prof. Parvin described
nlethod~that he had seen successfully
operated with and which he con sented to let
be used upon himself.
The parIicnlar method described by
Prof. Parvin was first exIerimentcd with
by DIR. Scilleich. He Las p,rloInied a great
number or very serious operations, such
AS ampuiations Of limbs, Re Inoval or iumors
and abdominal incisops without causing
the least particle or pain, although the
person operated upon remains conscious
all through the proceedings.
The manner OF carrying out the opera
ton is a. follows:
The part is well cleaned according TO the
usual methods, tie surface Of The skin is
rendered insensIble 10 the ram Oi a Ee, die
by a spray of ethyl ChlOriCe, and with a
hypodermic syringe number Of injections
are mace mo the Cccper structures of a
solution Consisting OF paris common salt,
LOCO parts OF water A ofa art al nlorphia
muriate and / part of cocaine.
The tissues are thus iniiltrated with the
solution and they become insensihle TO
pain, this insensibilny lasting fifteen
minutes or more.
Prof. Parvin believed that a. lcast fifty
per cent OF the operations now performed
under ether or chioroiorn could be Carried
out with the use OF this local aDaesthetic,
which Is comparatively harmless and
with no bad attcr effects.
The last point is tie one most doubted by
PHYSICIANS in this city. While chloroform
is omiEen,ly dangerous. ether is not. but
the fact that TIE new solution has cocaine
in ii would n once brand IL s not altogether
harmless, somc physicians say.
Prof. Parvin proved HE tIulh of bis asser-
tions, though. by preceding TO hare his
arm and astonisi'cd TIE audience by stating
That he proposed then and there Ia have an
incision an inch long made into his own
flesh and stitched up. An assistant accord
ingly applied the ana,sthetic to the pro-
fcssor's arm. and, with a sCalpel, cut the
flesh without causing tie least charge of
expression In his face, and then stitched
the wound
However well this may d. in local
anacsthesia,' said a Washington doctor to
The Times reporter, Il do not believe it
will apply TO general aDaesthesia. This
Will De necessary IN tne great uIjUruy OI
operations. since unconsC iousness is desir-
able for other reasons than the mere one of
producing iDsensibility 10 pain. Patients
are often terrified by the sight of the
operation or the thought of it. Accidents.
too. might prolong the time OF operation.
or Unforeseen complications might arise
which would require deeper incisiuns, pass
ing beyond the field uf insensibility.
'Anacsthesia.' coninne the physician.
''iS mainly the result of pressure on the
nerve endings by the fluid introduced. and
is consequently mechanical in its nature.
An injection of water will produce like
result to the injection of other fluids. but
its effect will be more transient, aud Ii is
therefore dangerous EXCEPT i'm cases of the
greatest speed in operation. am not so
sanguinc about the results OF Prof. Par
wins method as he himself it, but will give
il q trial"