IMPROVEMENT IN ANESTHETICS
Year: 1885

page_text: J, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENT IN
ANESTHETICS, & communication to me from abroad by Robert Jackson Hunter, of
Boston, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a composition of nitrous oxide gas, with medicinal
matters, to neutralize or prevent evil consequences resulting from the inhalation
of such gas, for the production of anesthesia in the performance of surgical
operations particularly those appertaining to the extraction of teeth.
Nitrous oxide gas in its normal condition when administered to a person, for
the purpose of rendering him insensible to pain, is liable to produce cerebral
congestion-irregularity in the action of the heart, paralysis of the mouth,
headache, nausea or spasms.
To render the said gas capable of being successfully employed for such purpose
I have been accustomed to combine with it, a sedative consisting of an aqueous
alcoholic tincture or infusion of hops and poppies.
In practice I have found that although the sedative, anodyne or hypnotic,
obtained from hops and poppies, is with the gas in most if not all cases attended
with useful results, it does not properly act in many cases as an antispasmodic or
a diaphoretic
I have therefore sought to discover a composition of the gas, with matters
sedative and antispasmodic or such and diaphoretic in action with it, in the
production of anesthesia by inhalation.
For this purpose, I add to alcohol not only a sufficient quantity of a sedative or
sedative matters, such as hops, lady's-slipper or stramonium-but an antispasmodic
as a quantity of English valerian for instance. With such, may be added to
advantage, a diaphoretic, as a quantity of skullcap for example.
In preparing an alcoholic tincture for this purpose, I generally add to one quart
of alcohol four ounces of hops, four ounces of skullcap-four ounces of English
valerian, four ounces of lady's slipper and two ounces of stramonium. Through
TD 077
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page_text: this alcoholic infusion or sedative and antispasmodic tincture, I pass the nitrous-
oxide gas in its course from the producing retort, to the gasometer used to
contain it. In this way I have combined or mixed with the gas, an alcoholic
vapor, having a sedative and antispasmodic or sedative antispasmodic and
diaphoretic characteristics.
I do not confine the composition to the precise proportions given for its con-
stituents as they may be varied somewhat and still be productive of good
effects.
I do not claim herein, an anesthetic consisting of nitrous oxide gas and the
vapors of an aqueous alcoholic tincture or infusion of hops and poppies.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. An anesthetic compound consisting of nitrous oxide gas and the vapor of
an alcoholic tincture of infusion of a sedative and an antispasmodic combined
or mixed substantially as set forth.
2. An anesthetic compound consisting of nitrous oxide gas, and the vapor of
an alcoholic tincture of a sedative an antispasmodic and a diaphoretic combined
or mixed substantially as set forth.
3. An anesthetic composition substantially as described, for use in surgical
operations etc, consisting of nitrous oxide gas and the vapor of an alcoholic tincture
of hops, stramonium and valerian, in or about the proportions specified.
4. An anesthetic compound consisting of nitrous oxide gas and the vapor of
an alcoholic tincture of hops, stramonium, valerian and skullcap, in or about in
the proportions specified.
5. An anesthetic compound substantially as described, consisting of nitrous
oxide gas and the vapor of an alcoholic tincture of hops, lady's slipper and valerian
in or about in the proportions specified.
6. An anesthetic compound substantially as described, consisting of nitrous
oxide gas and the vapor of an alcoholic tincture of hops, lady's slipper, valerian
and skullcap in or about in the proportions specified.