a history of science-4-第42章
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nation to communicate the discoveries I had made during the experiment。 I endeavored to recall the ideasthey were feeble and indistinct； one collection of terms； however； presented itself； and； with most intense belief and prophetic manner； I exclaimed to Dr。 Kinglake； 'Nothing exists but thoughts！the universe is composed of impressions； ideas； pleasures； and pains。' 〃＇3＇
From this account we see that Davy has anaesthetized himself to a point where consciousness of surroundings was lost； but not past the stage of exhilaration。 Had Dr。 Kinglake allowed the inhaling…bag to remain in Davy's mouth for a few moments longer complete insensibility would have followed。 As it was； Davy appears to have realized that sensibility was dulled； for he adds this illuminative suggestion： 〃As nitrous oxide in its extensive operation appears capable of destroying physical pain； it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place。〃＇4＇
Unfortunately no one took advantage of this suggestion at the time； and Davy himself became interested in other fields of science and never returned to his physiological studies； thus barely missing one of the greatest discoveries in the entire field of science。 In the generation that followed no one seems to have thought of putting Davy's suggestion to the test； and the surgeons of Europe had acknowledged with one accord that all hope of finding a means to render operations painless must be utterly abandonedthat the surgeon's knife must ever remain a synonym for slow and indescribable torture。 By an odd coincidence it chanced that Sir Benjamin Brodie； the acknowledged leader of English surgeons； had publicly expressed this as his deliberate though regretted opinion at a time when the quest which he considered futile had already led to the most brilliant success in America； and while the announcement of the discovery； which then had no transatlantic cable to convey it； was actually on its way to the Old World。
The American dentist just referred to； who was； with one exception to be noted presently； the first man in the world to conceive that the administration of a definite drug might render a surgical operation painless and to give the belief application was Dr。 Horace Wells； of Hartford； Connecticut。 The drug with which he experimented was nitrous oxidethe same that Davy had used； the operation that he rendered painless was no more important than the extraction of a toothyet it sufficed to mark a principle； the year of the experiment was 1844。
The experiments of Dr。 Wells； however； though important； were not sufficiently demonstrative to bring the matter prominently to the attention of the medical world。 The drug with which he experimented proved not always reliable； and he himself seems ultimately to have given the matter up； or at least to have relaxed his efforts。 But meantime a friend； to whom he had communicated his belief and expectations； took the matter up； and with unremitting zeal carried forward experiments that were destined to lead to more tangible results。 This friend was another dentist； Dr。 W。 T。 G。 Morton； of Boston； then a young man full of youthful energy and enthusiasm。 He seems to have felt that the drug with which Wells had experimented was not the most practicable one for the purpose； and so for several months he experimented with other allied drugs； until finally he hit upon sulphuric ether； and with this was able to make experiments upon animals； and then upon patients in the dental chair； that seemed to him absolutely demonstrative。
Full of eager enthusiasm； and absolutely confident of his results； he at once went to Dr。 J。 C。 Warren； one of the foremost surgeons of Boston； and asked permission to test his discovery decisively on one of the patients at the Boston Hospital during a severe operation。 The request was granted； the test was made on October 16； 1846； in the presence of several of the foremost surgeons of the city and of a body of medical students。 The patient slept quietly while the surgeon's knife was plied； and awoke to astonished comprehension that the ordeal was over。 The impossible； the miraculous； had been accomplished。＇5＇
Swiftly as steam could carry itslowly enough we should think it to…daythe news was heralded to all the world。 It was received in Europe with incredulity； which vanished before repeated experiments。 Surgeons were loath to believe that ether； a drug that had long held a place in the subordinate armamentarium of the physician； could accomplish such a miracle。 But scepticism vanished before the tests which any surgeon might make； and which surgeons all over the world did make within the next few weeks。 Then there came a lingering outcry from a few surgeons； notably some of the Parisians； that the shock of pain was beneficial to the patient； hence that anaesthesiaas Dr。 Oliver Wendell Holmes had christened the new methodwas a procedure not to be advised。 Then； too； there came a hue…and…cry from many a pulpit that pain was God…given； and hence； on moral grounds； to be clung to rather than renounced。 But the outcry of the antediluvians of both hospital and pulpit quickly received its quietus； for soon it was clear that the patient who did not suffer the shock of pain during an operation rallied better than the one who did so suffer； while all humanity outside the pulpit cried shame to the spirit that would doom mankind to suffer needless agony。 And so within a few months after that initial operation at the Boston Hospital in 1846； ether had made good its conquest of pain throughout the civilized world。 Only by the most active use of the imagination can we of this present day realize the full meaning of that victory。
It remains to be added that in the subsequent bickerings over the discoverysuch bickerings as follow every great advancetwo other names came into prominent notice as sharers in the glory of the new method。 Both these were Americansthe one； Dr。 Charles T。 Jackson； of Boston； the other； Dr。 Crawford W。 Long； of Alabama。 As to Dr。 Jackson； it is sufficient to say that he seems to have had some vague inkling of the peculiar properties of ether before Morton's discovery。 He even suggested the use of this drug to Morton； not knowing that Morton had already tried it； but this is the full measure of his association with the discovery。 Hence it is clear that Jackson's claim to equal share with Morton in the discovery was unwarranted； not to say absurd。
Dr。 Long's association with the matter was far different and altogether honorable。 By one of those coincidences so common in the history of discovery； he was experimenting with ether as a pain…destroyer simultaneously with Morton； though neither so much as knew of the existence of the other。 While a medical student he had once inhaled ether for the intoxicant effects； as other medical students were wont to do； and when partially under influence of the drug he had noticed that a chance blow to his shins was painless。 This gave him the idea that ether might be used in surgical operations； and in subsequent years； in the course of his practice in a small Georgia town； he put the idea into successful execution。 There appears to be no doubt whatever that he performed successful minor operations under ether some two or three years before Morton's final demonstration； hence that the merit of first using the drug； or indeed any drug； in this way belongs to him。 But； unfortunately； Dr。 Long did not quite trust the evidence of his own experiments。 Just at that time the medical journals were full of accounts of experiments in which painless operations were said to be performed through practice of hypnotism； and Dr。 Long feared that his own success might be due to an incidental hypnotic influence rather than to the drug。 Hence he delayed announcing his apparent discovery until he should have opportunity for further testsand opportunities did not come every day to the country practitioner。 And while he waited； Morton anticipated him； and the discovery was made known to the world without his aid。 It was a true scientific caution that actuated Dr。 Long to this delay； but the caution cost him the credit； which might otherwise have b
