Evening star., 1940-03-17
Stomp to Honor
/ Dr.. 6. w. Lono
By Frederic J. Hnsktn,

Then frontier section Is one Of the famous
Americans whose memory is being hon.
ored this year with commemorative post
age stamps issued by the Post Once De-
partment. Tribute Is being paid DR..
Crawford w. Long because he was the
first to use sulfuric ether as an anes-
thetic for surgery.
First day Of issue Of the red 2-cent
Crawford Long stamp will be at Jeffer.
son, Ga, on April 8. It was in this little
town, situated in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, that Dr.. Long
performed the first operation under ether
anesthesia. March 80, 1S42. An oficial
cachet has been arranged 30 that Amer
leans IN PARKWAY places may Join in
tribute to DR.. Long by obtaining covers
bearing the new 2-cent postage stamp.
The citizens Of Jefferson are planning
proper celebration of the issuance Of the
stamp. Speakers are expected to praise
the young physician who did 80 much to
relieve suffering humanity by pointing
the way to miracles of the modern oper-
ating room. Members Of the medical
profession are in agreement that without
means Of rendering patient insensible
TO pain, surgeons could accomplish little.
DR.. Longs successful use Of ether, and
the contribution Of antiseptic surgery by
Lord Lister, are considered two great
events In the history of surgery. Before
these men lived. surgery had made slow
progress. Only few operations were
attempted, and these without much sue
cess. Today appendectomies and other
more serious operations are compare.
lively simple for those with proper train
ing.
Medical history reveals a variety Of
attempts toward painless surgery, some
fairly successful. The ancients used
poppy. henbane and hemp to prevent
pain. The Scythians used a vapor Of
hemp seed to cause drunkenness, and
Pliny in the 1st century prescribed man
dragora to be drunk before cutting and
puncturings." AS early as 22o AID. the
Chinese physician, Hao-tho was per-
forming amputations upon patients un-
der effects Of hashish. The soportfic
draught Of dioscorides and the soporific
sponge were known In the 10th century
In the early 10th century some surg
cons intoxicated their patients with al
cohol or opium. Napoleon's surgeon. Lar
ry. used intense cold to deaden sensibility.
The English surgeon, James Monroe, in
1884 attempting to control pain by
clsmping nerve trunks. Hypnotism was
tried and the extent to which it was ac-
cepted is remarkable. But 1t remained
for Dr. Long to pave the way for q more
successful surgery.
Crawford Williamson Long was born
In Danielsville, Madison County, Ga.
November l, 1915. His parents home still
stands. He attended the Danielsville
Academy, and at the age Of IA entered
Franklin College, now the University Of
Georgia, at Athens. He received the
degree of master Of arts at the age Of 10,
being considered studious and wise be-
yond his years. Long stood second In his
graduating class. Later he studied at
Transylvania College at Lexington, KY,
and in 1887 entered the University Of
Pennsylvania. After receiving the degree
Of doctor of medicine there. he spent 1s
months In the hospitals Of New York
City. He was deeply moved by the suf-
fering of surgical patients.
At the age of 26 DR.. Long began his
practice at Jefferson, In jackson County.
Ga. He was soon pushed into the la
borious life Of a country doctor, for there
were many demands for his services.
Young men of the town often held "ether
parties" They inhaled sulfuric ether
through towels and became hilarious.
DR.. Long noticed that after the young
men had inhaled ether they apparently
felt no pain when they happened to fall
or run against chair.
When one James M. venable, fearing
pain, repeatedly postponed the removal
Of tumor from his neck. DR.. Long sug-
gested that ether might prevent any
feeling while the operation was being
performed. The patient agreed to the
experiment and the tumor was removed
painlessly. Venable refused to believe
that the operation had been performed
until he was shown the tumor. An
davits of witnesses to the operation are
still available.
Later DR.. Long removed two toes OF .
patient. For one he used ether anes-
thesia; for the other, nothing. In the
first instance there was no suffering, but
in the secord the pain was almost more
than the patient could endure. DR.. Long
continued to use ether anesthesia. per-
forming, as he wrote in 1882, zone or
more operations annually on patients In
a state Of etherization."
+4A
Even without the discovery Of ether
anesthesia, DR.. Long would be considered
outstanding, for he was in advance Of
his day In other ways. He treated and
cured tuberculosis by proper nourdsh-
mert and fresh air, and his treatment OF
typhoid fever was almost the same as that
practiced today. DR.. Long operated sue
cessfully several times for cancer. He
cured many cases Of lockjaw, and was
unusually skilled in the use Of obstetrical
forceps.
Modesty and desire to be scientifically
sure of his findings cost DR.. Long much
of the glory that might have been his
years ago. He made no boasts concern.
ing his use Of ether as an anesthetic, but
he did not keep his discovery secret.
II. t,,ld other rhysiciaus about It, and