On local anaesthesia by ether spray, as a means for the entire extinction of pain in operations on the inferior animals / by Benjamin W. Richardson.

  • Richardson, Benjamin Ward, 1828-1896.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On local anaesthesia by ether spray, as a means for the entire extinction of pain in operations on the inferior animals / by Benjamin W. Richardson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    The apparatus for the ether spray consists first of a bottle for holding the ether. Through a perforated cork a double tube is inserted, one extremity of the inner part of which goes to the bottom of the bottle Above the cork a little tube, connected with a small hand bellows, pierces the outer part of the double tube, and communicates by means of the outer part, through a small aperture, with the interior of the bottle The inner tube for delivering the fluid runs upwards nearly to the extremity of the outer tube. When the bellows are worked, a double current of air is produced, one current descending and pressing upon the ether to force it along the inner tube, and the other ascending through the outer tube and playing upon the column of ether as it escapes through a fine jet into the air. The fluid is thus dispersed from the fine jet into the air, as you see, in the form of spray ; it is still in that condition which we call fluid, but it is so finely distributed or sprayed out that it looks like the vapour of water—steam—issuing from the tube. In this finely divided state it easily volatizes on coming in contact with a surface, the temperature of which is higher than its own ; it is thus transformed into the form or condition of matter called vapour, the transformation depend- ing upon the heat it has extracted from the part upon which it has been directed. I will now proceed to demonstrate this process in practice, selecting myself as the first subject for experiment. [Dr. Richardson proceeded now to render large portions of his own arm insensible to pain, and to pass darning needles through the insensible stnictures. The insensibility was next produced on the arms of Dr. Fraser, Dr. Sedgwick, Mr. Gurney, and Mr. Mocatta.] VETERINARY APPLICATIONS. In my own earlier inquiries I tested very carefully the effects of the spray anaesthetic process on many of the smaller inferior animals, such as dogs, rabbits, and pigeons, and always with success. It is fair, however, for me to remark that these attempts were not made on the inferior animals primarily. The true experimental part was conducted exclusively on my own body. Afterwards various operations were performed on different individuals, and then the inquiries I speak of were made on the lower forms of living beings.