The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-05
INSENSIBILITY TO PAIN.
Curious Ways In Which IL is Secured
without the Use of An9sthetics.

An interesting point has been brought out
in discussion of the dental section OF med
ical association cataphoress. Cataphoresis
il the most modern method Of causing the
tooth an gums or any part OF the BODY 10
become insensible TO pain. The ordinary
method Of It's exhibition il 10 saturate
piece of cotton with cocaine and apply the
cotto n containing olectrode to the part to be
influenced, a weak electric current being
turned on in the meantime. In from one ana
a half to ten minutes the part becomes
"obtunded," :" or benumbed.
A dentist who took part in the discussion
said that he had held back-much to the sur
prise Of some Of his professional brethren
from tho active recognition of cataphoresis in
dentistry and he would now enlighten the
association as TO his reasons for doing so. The
extraction OF teeth by electricity was com
mon as far back as 1858, but the real cause Of
any merit in that method was that the shock
produced at the instant the forceps were
applied produced diversion Of the will force
by causing a sudden and violert inhalation
into the lungs While the lungs remained
inflated the effect was excellent, for the senses
were for the instant submerged or subjugated.
He discovered that the actual insensibility to
and thenceforth abandoned the use Of elec.
tricity aud depended upon rapid breathing
alone In conclusion he said to his couferes
"You now know why l abandoned electricity
for obtunding sensitive dentine and extract
ing, for this revelation Of how nature relieves
gave me the clue to the brighter step which
dentists have been slow to recognize a fact.
Had they done so, then you would not today
be looking for any other agent in most Of the
cases that IL is our lot to have"
Subsequently another practitioner stated
that he had made frequent use OF the rapid
breathing method to obtund pain for some
sixteen years, and he thought IL the real
effect OF rapid breathing were better under
stood il might have wider application than
in dental practice. There are many ways in
which n state Of dissemination of the nerves
Of feeling may be produced so that they will
not carry the sensation Of pain 10 the brain.
and thus produce anaesthesia. The way quick
breathing acts seems to be by diverting the
attention from the operation to the effort to
breathe quickly. In hypnotism sleep is caused
by occupying the patients attention, and
thus discriminating the centres of mentality
and the centres of sensation, so that they do
not work together. case " reported or
tumor operation in which the man was made
TO hold the surgeons hand and maintain con
slant pressure. This will make any one tired,
and the effort diverted the attention of the
patient from the pain of the operation so fully
that the tumor was removed by legation
without any pain being felt. and without the
loss Of consciousness at any time. All TINT
seems necessary is to fix the thoughts of the
patient closely on something else while the
pain lasts. This answers very we'll when the
tooth can be drawn instantly, but if this or
any other operation has to be prolonged, there
is no question that cataphoresis is the surest,
simplest and best method known of securing
insensibility. -Pittsburg Dispatch.