The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-22
TEETH AND HEALTH
BY Samuel Nj. Fink, ID. ID. s.
ANESTHETICS

The word Anesthesia is derived
from two Greek words, one meaning
not and the other meaning sensa-
ton. When speaking of an anes-
thetic, the dentist means the loss of
sense of feeling and when he refers
to anesthetize he means placing the
individual under the influence Of
some drug rendering them insensi-
BILE to pain.
Anesthetics are various drugs or
substances that temporarily destroy
sensation; they are divided into two
main classifications, local and gen.
cal anesthesia.
Local anesthesia referring to the
loss of sensation in that particular
area of the body to which the anes-
thetic is applied, where as general
anesthetic causes complete loss of
sensibility throughout the entire
body together with loss of con-
seriousness. Local anesthesia is the
favorable and most widely used, &C
complished by the injection of the
anesthetic drug; while general an
esthesia is brought about by the in
halation of the drug.
The ancients have endeavored by
various crude methods to prevent
pain. Anesthesia dates back to the
Egyptians who were believed to have
used Indian hemp and the juices of
the poppy to produce this sleepy
condition. History relates on that
at the beginning of the Christian
Area. Dioscorides, in his writing
informs that they have used the
roots Of the Atrop Mandragora boil-
ing them in wine and using that as
an anesthetic. Up to about the
eighteenth century, dentistry and
medicine did not have a. definite
method for inducing local ahesthes-
ia. AS time progressed there has
been discovered and developed meth
DDS for its administration and today
it has broadened into quite a science
within itself.
Dentists today have at their dis
posal three major drugs that ara
used for general anesthesia namely
ether, chloroform, and nitrous
oxide with oxygen. The last named
is the choice of most of the men in
the profession administering same
daily in their offices.
There are quite number Of drugs
that are used to produce local anes-
thesia. Cocaine was extensively
used during the later part of the
eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries. today it is superseded by
novocaine.
Novocaine or procaine both being
the same is synthetic product arti-
fically made; not a habit forming
drug and uniform in strength is now
almost universally used in Dentis-
try for the production of local anes-
thesia. By the use of novocaine the
dentist is now able to remove the
sensation from any area of the jaws
or face without hinderance or inter-
fering with any other part of the
body.
To the American Dentist, DR.. Hor-
ace Wells, Hartford, Connecticut, in
1914 discovered Nitrous Oxide, and
another American Dentist, Dr. Thos.
Green Morton, Boston, Mass, in
1876 is credited with the discovery
of ether, but this is not true, it was
Joseph Priestly an English Chemist
who discovered the drug in 1176. u
Sir James L. Simpson Scottish
Physician is credited with the dis
covery of Chloroform in 1S47.
Novocaine was discovered by Ein-
horn of Germany in 1906. These
important discoveries marked the
turning point of Dentistry and Med
icine as a minimizing and cessation
of the suffering that had been SO
long endured.
p. S.-All dental questions will be
answered in this column by address
sing DR.. Samuel M. Fink, Dentists
l62 West Main Street, Elkton, Mds
-O-