Milford chronicle., 1919-12-26
TEETH AND HEALTH
By R. ALLEN GRIFFITH, D. D. s.
DENTAL PAIN KILLING

ihe fear of pain is mans heritage
An American dentist reduced that her
itage forever by making the first prac-
tieal use of nitrous oxide Qaughinp
I gas) as an anesthetic.
( Anesthesia really was discovered on
I December II, 1874, by Horace Wells
a dentist Of Hartford. Conn. when he
oHered himself as possible martyr
70 suHerlng humanity by inhaling nj
trous oxide and having teeth extracted.
In January, lS45, Dr. Wells took his
discovery to Boston and operated be-
lore the medical college He was ridi-
culed and pronounced a fraud. The
wise men OF Boston pointed the fing-
ger OF mockery and cried "humbug"
determined to break upon the rocks Of
derision any man from the country
who supposed the wise men of the
city credulous enough TO believe his
story. Dr. Wells passed thru a per-
lod OF inertia and disbursement. his
hopes wrecked upon the desert isle
OF mans unwilhngness to believe. So
the short space of Horace Wells noble
lie was crowded with frustrated homes
and unfulhlled dreams He died early Z
in lS4S at the age of 80 years.
One wreath was placed upon the
grave of Horace Wells. The Medical
Society of Paris in January. 1S4S.
voted that ITO Horace Wells of Hart
FORD, Conn, is due all the honor of
having first discovered anesthesia."
Years later the State of Connecticut
erected a statue in Bushnell Park
commemorating the great discovery.
Another dentist, DR.. W. T. G. Nor
ton, first administered ether in 1876.
Dentists in their eagerness to re-
Iieve human suffering and pain have
Tor years successfully used local an
such as cocaine and novo-
cain. In late years they have devel
)ped the use of a combination of nj
rous oxide and oxygen, the safest
general anesthetic known.
The death rate from nitrous exide
md oxygen is estimated at one in a
million, against one in 10000 from
ther.
Dentistry's latest gift to suffering
mankind is conductive anesthesia or ,
lerve blocking. by which the area
Ontrolled by a nerve is rendered in
ensitive to pain. A few of our most ,
surgeons are now able to
efIOrm major operations, such as a
lparotomies and amputations. by in
ecting the nerve trunks with novo-
ain. :,
What would be mans fear and (
read of dental and surgical opera !,
ons without the gracious sleep of ?
nesthesia? What untold suffering =
ould our boys have had to endure
ON the wounds and mutilations of s
ittle if the American dentist in his q
arch for the relief from pain for
lffering humanity had not brought n
lesthesia to its recent state of eff
ency? I
Dentistry has thus given to human :
Y one of its greatest bOons, and it is :,
lrd to conceive that in the last year
two bills have been introduced into :,
me of our State legislatures to pre-
mt dentists from giving anesthetics. II
The dentist has succeeded in taking
e dent" out of dentistry. Where n,
" individual suffers from pain in
5 teeth it is his own fault.
The modern, up-tO-date dentist has n,
many ways of relieving pain that
one need suffer from their teeth. va
S latest and greatest gift TO human
, however, is the prevention, not Cl
ly of decayed teeth, but of system ~
C disease. Thru oral hygiene any
lividual is not only saved pain but Ah
general health is preserved as vi
II.