Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-19

tndt the ROcntRen discovery VIA sup
plement these two, so that hereafter the
knife can be aimed accurately and WITH
out tentative experiment; so that, too
there may be suggestion as to whether
the knife should be used at ALL and
when that decision is made then comes
the kindly minLstration of anaesthesia
and the healing application of the anti
septic. Thus still more greatly does the
aid Of surgery and medicine by these dis
coveries make for health and happiness
OF mankind.
DISCOVERIES OR ACCIDENTS?
In speaking Of the Roentgen discovery
almost all physicians become remini-
scent, recalling how IL was by accident
which, after all. was no accident. but
simply the result OF intelligence selling
an opportunity, these three forces. two
OF them known to be remedial. the third
suspected TO be, were brought 70 the
attention of those who know best how
TO develop them. Professor Chandler
was reminded by the statement that
Roenigen's discovery was the result OF
a so-called accident of what was once
called the accidental discovery Of anaes-
thesia. In the fierce battle of the profes-
sionals which followed the demonstra-
ton of the value OF this agent this story
was sometimes told. but perhaps never
so briefly or accurately as Professor
Chandler told It
a young medical student who had
come to the medical college in New York
city 10 finish his course. being of an in
vestigating turn, experimental on his
own ACCOUNT in chemistry. He was es-
peciaHy interested in the effect pro-
duced upon the human system by nj
trous oxide gas. DESIRING 10 earn a little
money he decided TO give some popular
lectures, and IL seemed TO him that his
hearers might be amusingiy interested
II they saw him administer this gas so
that the Hilarious effects OF IL could Do
observed. These lectures became quite
popular. especially as those who took
the gas seemed 10 be for the moment in
toXcated. At one OF his lectures this
young sudent-Colton-invlte any per-
son who was present who desired to take
the gas 10 come 30 the platform, and a
young man accepted the invitation.
Upon the following day, or al some later
moment, this young man went TO Cotton
and said to him: II should think that
that gas would be q good thing 10 give
a man who wanted TO have a tooth eX-
tracted | think the operation could be
done without the man feeling It," Then
he told why. He said that after he had
recovered from the effects of the gas
sore. and taking off his shoe he found
n good deal Of blood in it. Then he dis
covered thatlhe had cut himself by fall
ing. as he supposed. when he was under
the influence of the gas IL at once oc-
CURED to him that as he felt no hurt
when he fell the effect OF the gas must
have been 10 make him iDsensible 10
pain.
As all the world knows the expert
and to-day that young man is honOred
by a bronze statue In Harvard. as the
first to suggest and actually to use an
.anaesthetic in a surgical operation-Hor-
ace Wells. That act paved the way
for other investigations, which Morton
followed up until he was able to, an
nounce that he had used ether success
fully for surgical operations. 1t is
that Morton's son who is now expert
menting with the enthusiasm and zeal
which characterized the father. In the
hope that he may discover how best the
Roentgen ray may be utilized to the ser
vice Of medicine and surgery That
was an American discovery, although
chloroform the third of the anaesthetic
agents, was discovered after many ex-
periments with other agents by an Eng
lish physician.
THE SECOND GREAT DISCOVERY.
The second Of the great discoveries
OF kindred service cannot be said to
have had any such romantic or dramatic
suggestion as caused the young dental
student wells to believe that laughing
gas could be used with success I'm dem
tstry. For, while Lister is practically
by common consent thought to be
entitled 10 the honor OF demonstrating
the enormous service OF antiseptic treat
ment, nevertheless. he and others were
led to such use after investigations and
a close study Of nature. The conclusion
that they reached was the logical result
Of long study and patient investigation.
Professor Chandler says that IL is be-
yond the power Of the human mind 10
conceive the service which this treat
ment las been for the human race. or
to estimate the number OF human lives
or the advance IN medical treatment
which has followed its first use. 1t
robbed the knife of the terrors that
followed an operation, just as the anaes-
thetic took from it the horrors which were
suggested by its use.
Later tendencies in the medical world
have been somewhat to depart from the
antiseptc treatment using in place Of IL
what is called the aseDtc treatment. The
first, of course. suggested the latter. The
antisepdc treatment was for the purpose
Of killing germs bacteria or other poison
ing influences which might seize upon a
hesh-wOunl, whereas the aseptic treat
ment is prevention, making 1t impossible
for such maign influences to establish
themselves. one was remedial the other
preventive. The result. however, Is the
same.
Now, II Roentgen has given the hint,
as almost all Of the physicians think.
he has, whereby these two great discoy-
cries may be supplemented, and medical
science approached more rapidly toward
that goal toward which It is constantly
aimng-the mastery OF disease, which Is
ultimately 10 lead to the prevention or
disease-then II is Professor Chambers
opinion. as IL seems TO be that OF Edison
inferentia1y that OF Tesla. or Wright
and OF others who are experimenting
with this force-that IL may take rank
with the greatest OF the discoveries OF
this or any age for the amelioration and,
perhaps, the prevention Of suffering TO
mankind.
II is admitted by all these scientists,
however. that there Is fair ground FOR
lnferring that as n discovery il will have
a far broader field than this. Its COM
mercial possibilities are as yet rather
vaguely outlined i'm the minds OF scien-
lists There IS some reason for supoOsins
} that Tesla sees In Pts development possi-
bilities quite as far-reachins In their III
fuence as was Bells discovery that the
electric current could carry and reproduce
sounds. or Morses discovery Of the means
by which the electric current could be
used instantly 10 transmit intelligence.
Therefore, while the physicians and the
medical students are studying this newly
discovered force almost solely with the
view OF capturing IL in the service or
medicine. the commercial scientists have
other objects in mind. while the profess
slonal students are simply pursuing IN
vsstgation so that they may see whittier