The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-04


his column.
casion when Horace Wells first ad-
ministered laughing gas-nitrous
oXide-to produce anaesthesia for
the extraction of a tooth.
The place and the occasion are
fitting Horace Wells was Hart
ford citizen, a dentist, and it was
in Hartford that this important
event in the history Of surgery
and dentistry occurred.
The circumstances of the his
toric event are that as early as
August 1910, DR.. Wells had been
thinking of the possibility of this
and said to DR.. L. P. Brockett, Of
Hartford, that he believed a man
might be made so drunk by the in
nalation of nitrous oxide gas OF
some similar agent thet dental or
other operations might be per-
formed on him without any sensa-
ion on the part of the patient"
First Application
He made no practical application
If his idea, however, until on De-
cember 10th, 1914, he attended the
lecture of one Gardner Q. Cotton.
Cotton was one of set Of familiar
figures in the early days of our
republic. He travelled from city to
city giving a lecture and demon
stration of chemistry. Chemistry
was then very young science in
deed. 1t had not been harnessed by
industry nor to any extent for
mally introduced into university
education. Its phenomena, such as
the production Of gas when two
liquids were mixed together, or. a
solid precipitate when two liquids
were mixed together, were consid-
cred to be mysterious ard interest
ing, much as mind reading and
mesmerism are coz sidered now,
but nobody saw any practical ap-
plication of them.
Cotton evidently gave a good
show. One of his lnts v0s to
have members of the re
come un on the 81 &c Id
have them inhale nitro OK. .
laughing gas. They w.nt into
gales of laughter, and cut up and
cavorted about the stare. The
more dignified the 81 ect WIS, the
more fun it was for t;e auiic~ ce.
One of the sub, ec,s on tae night
Horace Wells ATTENDED hit his ''ot
against chair ard received ite
a severe injury, but avowed that
he felt no pain.
Horace Wells acted on this hint
and the next day he and DR.. J. M.
Riggs, the dentist who is respon-
sible for describing Riggs disease,
which is pyo-rhoea, obtained Mr..
Colton's assistance and admin
istered nitrous oxide to Wells. DR..
Riggs then extracted a tooth.
When he awoke Wells cried-"It
did not hurt me more than the
prick of a pin. 1t is the greatest
discovery ever made"
Properly Accredited
Horace Wells afterwards went
to Boston to demonstrate the
method, but failed to keep the pa
tent anaesthetized. He returned
in disgrace, at least in his own
eyes, to Hartford, and later In
New York committed suicide in
despair at what he considered the
failure Of his idea.
His credit is now properly as
sessed, however. 1t is true that
two years before, in jefferson,
Georgia DR.. Crawford W. Long
gave ether for a surgical opera
ton, and the worldwide use of an
aesthesia is due to Horace Well
partner, DR.. w. T. G. Morton,
who, in 1846, publicly demon
strated it at the Massachusetts,
General Hospital, Boston. The an
aesthetic controversy is an I'M
happy one. All deserve credit,
Horace Wells as much as the rest.
The idea was in the air 100 years
ago and many men had q part in
perfecting it.
There are newer anaesthetics
now and a great perfection Of an
aesthetic technique. But for Sc
lected purposes there is probably
none better than Horace Wells nj
trous oxide.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
G. 8.:-Why is it when | take
liquor get sleepy? I'd like to 20
out and take a drink or two, not
get drunk, you understand. but
one drink makes me dizzy and
sleepy.
Answer: Well, alcoholic bever.
ages are among the best soporihcs
there are. There is no law to make
you take two or three drinks, you
know, or 20 koep you from going
10 sleeu on o1e.