Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-11

warren. and to DR.. Morton Il is generally
given credit for discovering the anaess
thetic effect Of ether. This method OF re-
lieving pain was christened anaesthesia by
DR.. oliver Wendell Holmes, whose writings
did more to eradicate chlldbed fever than
any other Americans. To Gunthrie OF
Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. Is due the credit
Of FIRST discovering chloroform, but Sir
James Simpson Of Edinburgh deserves ths
credit Of first employing II In medicine.
Ansesthesla is undoubtedly one of this
greatest boons that ever befell SUFFERING
humanity. The surgeons Of America laid
the foundation Of gynaecoloEy. the progress
OF which has been more marked than any
other department OF surgery. The first
ovariolomy in the world was performed by
DR.. Ephriam Mcdowell, In Kentucky, in
December, 1909. This was prior to anaes.
thesia and antisepsis. A bowling mob
waited outside ready to murder the brave
surgeon should the patient die under the
operation. I'm Ave days." says DR.. Me-
Dowell, Il visited her, and much TO my
surprise, found her making up her bed"
DR.. j. Marion Sims established an inter.
national reputation and did much TO pro-
my4gate plastic work on the female genis
Italia. The deeds Of medical men are soon
forgotten by an ungrateful public. SO that
We find but FIVE monuments erected in
this country to their memory. The last,
but not least, monument, was erected in
Washington to the immortal Hahmemann.
Another in Washington to the memory OF
Samuel ID. Gross, the nestor Of American
surgery. Another in New York City to
the grand old gynaecologlst, ]. Marion
Sims. Another, in Bushnell park, Hartford,
Conn, to DR.. Horace Wells, the
discoverer Of nitrous oxide, the
FIRST anaesthetic. And one in the
public garden In Boston to the discoverer
OF anaesthesia-no name being given.
Physiology made rapid strides during this
era. Beaumont In his famous work de-
scribes digestion in the stomach and ex-
periments on the gastric Juice. He was
enabled to observe this In a voyager who
was accidentally shot in the stomach by
the discharge of a musket June, 1922.
Quite a large opening remained, which was
closed with a valve. By pushing the valve
to one side the interior of the stomach
could be exposed. Anatomy at this time
was being taught by the only true method.
viz, dissection, the dinhculty OF obtaining
material being overcome by legislative en-
actment. This article would be incomplete
should l omit saying anything about the
trained nurse. The first training school
for nurses In America was established in
connection with the lying-in Charity hos
pital of Philadelphia, in 1928, and is ante
dated only by one school. Thirty years ago
the training school connected with Bellevue
hospital graduated a class OF FIVE nurses.
This was a marked departure in the
medical history OF this country. Since
then the demand for the trained nurse has
been great and no hospital is complete
without such a training school. The prog
ress of medicine In the nineteenth century
was far more rapid and creditable and mo-
mentous than during any like period Of the
past. This is true not only in the United
States, but in all civilized countries OF the
globe. Its entire scope, meaning and pur-
pose has undergone changes equivalent to
revolution. Antique superstition, idle the
cries, foolish speculations, absurd practices.
the ridiculous jealousies and determinations
Of opposing schools have been largely elm
mated; medical institutions are upon the
Hottest plane in their history; teachers are
better endowed than ever before; periods Of
scholastic preparation have been length
ened and curricula enlarged, thus securing
to the fields OF practice a higher mental
equipment and more considerable devo-
ton to duty. Never before have the auxil-
larry and material agencies been turned to
30 frequent and preventive account. Tho
proving OF drugs, electricity, the micro
scope, snaesthesia, antisepsis, physiological
research, laboratory experiments and hos
pital opportunities are enormous ~inspira-
lions to skilled treatment and fresh re-
searches. One may not as yet assert that
medicine Is Kidding itself Of impericism
with a satisfactory degree OF rapidity nr
that 1t has arrived at the stage OF an exact
science, but it has surely approached such
a stage.
Standing as We do tonight upon the
threshold of the twentieth century and
after looking back in retrospect as we
have upon what medicine and surgery have
already accomplished we turn and look in
anticipation into the unrevealed future and
We believe we see builded upon the founda-
ton already furnished a great, grand and
lofty superstructure, harmonious in all It's
parts. From within shall eminate a medical
literature and science, art and philosophy
that shall represent eternal truths and be-
cause OF this l want to emphasize the fact
that the teachings OF Samuel Hahmemann
shall be everywhere in evidence.