Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-09
SLEEP
DEADENS PAIN FOR
TRIO UNDER KNIFE
Current Is Used at Operations
in City Hospital With
Fair Success.

The three patients upon whom minor
operations were performed while "elec-
trio sleep was tried as a local anes-
thetic were reported from the City Hos
pital this morning to be in very favor
able condition. The operations, which
were performed by DIR. F. r. Haussling
and DR.. E. Blair Sutphen, were success
full, and there were no i'll effects from
the electric current.
The patients upon whom the opera
tons were performed were: Peter Boag,
1873 South Eleventh street, ulcer of leg
after amputation; George Baker, a
negro, 8 wilburton place. ingrowing
~toenail, and Albert Carlson, 1893 Parker
street, removal of big toe.
Peter Boag, having undergone the
original operation of removing a leg
under the local application of o
caine, was the most interested of the
three, and declared that while the pain
was deadened and the part numbed by
the electric current, more pain was
felt than when novacaine was used.
Novacaine is injected, and acts in a
manner similar to ~stovaine. Like sto-
vaine and the electric Sleep" only the
part operated upon is benumbed, and
the patient may, if he desires, watch
the operation.
In the case of George Baker the OPP
Grafton was one which is regarded as
most painful, and while the pain was
deadened Baker said hat he felt the
operation somewhat. That less pain
would be felt under ether, novacaine
or ~stovaine, was the opinion of the
surgeons, and they agreed to stick to
the old methods until the electric an
esthetic was in a more perfect stage
Of development.
The electric sleep" has never been
used upon the human being as a gem
eral ~anesthetic, and could not be I'M
til more was known of the effects OF
electricity on the nervous system, as
serious results might follow its ad.
ministration through damage to the
| nerve tissues. Similar caution was
taken upon the discovery of the effects
OF ether and the first man to submit
to its effects is regarded in the sur
gical world as something of a hero
through whose taking chances with g
then unknown element brought to hu
mainly a great benefit. making posi-.
BILE painless surgery and operations
which has previously been impossible
Though dogs and rabbits have beer
rendered insensible and put totally tt
sleep the only man daring enough tt
htry the electric sleep to a stage APP.
preaching cerebral inhibition similar Il
ehioroform sleep vas the discoverer
M. Stephane Leduc, professor of med
icine at L'Ecole de Nantes. With tn,
cooperation of two other professors O.
the college he underwent the Electric
sleep as far as he dared. and in writ
ing of the sensations said: The sen
sation, although d~isagreeable, is easil!
borne; 1t subsidies in time like the sen
sation produced by a constant curren
and after having reached a maximum
diminishes in spite Of augmentation o
the force. The limbs, though in a stat
of complete relaxation, present no rig
idity and the pulse remains unaltered.
He was for twenty minutes under tn
current and when the circuit wa
opened the awakening was instan
~taneous. No after-effects were ex
perienccd, except a sensation of well
being and of physical vigcr.