The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-01-02

W III. w Itttsstst norton.
One Of the rost interesting papers
read at the celebration in Boston Of the
fiftieth ANSWERS ! Of the first admins
tration of ct in q surgical operation,
says the PHI, aiphia Record, was that
by Dir. Johm Ashhurst Of this city on
"Surgoly Before the Days of Anws5hot-
les " !! yhiIlE recalls the horrors Of
t!9sn days when the surgeons knife was
an object of f:E greater terror than now
ana inflicted uutu!d tortures upon the
conscious r", .put.
- stuGy If the condition of surgery
before the Gays oi anpsthesia, said Dr.
Aahhurst, 'lcvcalg on the enc hand IL
picture OF E,.u.c bOldnes8 and mastery
self control on he part of the surgeon,
and on the Other Il Rhastly panorama,
sometimes q stole fortitudo and endur-
ancc, sometimes Of abject terror and hui
mi!iatiOM--- but always Of agonizing
Wrutchcdncs8 and pain--on the part of
the unhappy victim who required the
surgeons aid.
"Ihe 'pitl!ossness' which Ceicus urged
as an essential trait in the operative sur
geon was, before the days of an;psthcsia,
a feature in the surgeons career which
impressed very strongly the public gen
orally as well as those Immediately con-
ncctcd with the operation. 1t is inter
esting TO recall that Sir james Simpson
OF Edinburgh, shortly after beginning
his professional studies, was so affected
by seeing the terrible agony of poor
Highland woman under amputation of
the breast that he resolved to abandon
medical career and seek other occupA-
tI"L. Happily his intention was recon
Siucrod, aE' he returned to his studies,
-@@@ Mm."ll, Can anything be done
ju @&E. operations less ralnful?' and,
q: ',".E ca" knows, III less than 20
AIRS he became " high priest Of aEHs-
STA %@a 'a' int. "o.r INFO surgical
g.! ohst.'ricol practice Of cthcr's great
HifaI, CElorotorm.
40 Drawer or more gallant gentle
maN ever llE Il than Admiral NieCOUnt
"on, AVID after his right elbow had
been Shnil"uA lEa French bullet i'll the
assault &F Icnerit" he manifested the
utmost courage, refusing to be taken 10
the nearest ship lest the sight Of his i'll
Jury should alarm the wife CT tei:tW
onlc'r whose own fate was uncertain,
and "hrn his own ship was reached ho
climbed up It's side without assistance,
saying; 'Icil the surgeon 10 make haste
ana get ms Instruments | know must
IcSe my rlGhi ann, 80 the sooner it Is IF
th2 better lie underwent the amput@-
t"n, we Ig"En from private letter OF
one az MS Ml4Shlpmen, with the Same
h!.'l!'&s ana courage th@t have always
h."l-iru ms character. And yet 50 pain
fully was he "iIccted by the GOODNESS Of
tle operator $ khl1e that when next 60
ing INTO "cIl"h at the famous battle OF
lhe Mic ne gave standing orders TO ms
surgeons that not water should always
De kept IN lvaulhcsS during an engage
Hout' so 'Aat IL ahotAer operation should
De f1quIivu no might at least have the
poor comfort OF beng cut with warm
Instruments
On the $40 ct the surgeon we find
throughout the ages constant effort o
diminish the terrors of operations and
continuous roprobatlon OF the distress
lul, not TO say cruel, modes OF prac-
tlce adopted by preceding generations.
ana yet the time IS not very far distant
from ours when they Topped Off limb
py striking 1t violently with a heavy
KNIFE; that time when they knew nei-
ther how to stop nor how to prevent
hemorrhage but by burning the part
whence the blood Jetted with boiling oil
or inc fedhot IRON; that time when sur
Seohs armed themselves at every mo-
meht Wlth plnchers, with burning eau
'erleS ana with instruments the repre-
Sen'ntlohs even OF which cause terror
But the presence OF pam was not the
only CNlI dreaded by our predecessors III
attempting important operations. The
great FISK or fatal accident from some in
voluntary movement CT the patient was
constantly present to the mind OF the
conscientious surgeon. How often, says
DF' Valentino Mott, when operating III
sgHoH'sE, d&Hk wound, along the course
q SOME EE' Nrin, with thin walls al
tcEi"'tlT a.. tended and taocId with the
vita! 'GIr. tho" often have dreaded
ihat Somo unfortunate struggle Of the
patient would dcvi&te the knife little
.iu@ IT'S proper coarse and that |, who