Dr. Charles T. Jackson's statement of the history of his discovery of the means of preventing all sensations of pain in surgical operations by administration of vapor of pure sulphuric ether mixed with air, by pulmonary inhalation.
- Charles Thomas Jackson
- Date:
- [1851?]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Dr. Charles T. Jackson's statement of the history of his discovery of the means of preventing all sensations of pain in surgical operations by administration of vapor of pure sulphuric ether mixed with air, by pulmonary inhalation. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![hilaration, Numbness of the feet and legs followed, a swimming or floating sensation, as if afloat in the air. This was accompanied with entire fags of feeling, even of contact wilh ihe chair in which I was seated. I noticed that all pain had ceased in my throat, and the sensa- tions which I had were of the most agreeable kind. Much pleased and excited, 1 continued the inhalation of the ether vapor, and soon fell into a dreamy state, and then became unconscious of all surrounding things. I know not how long I remained in that state, but suppose that it could not be less than a quarter of an hour, judging from the degree of dryness of the cloth, which during this state of unconsciousness, had fallen from my mouth and nose and lay upon my breast. As I became conscious I observed still there was no feeling of pain in my throat, and my limbs were still deeply benumbed, as \[ the nerves of sensation were J'nlly paralyzed. A strange thrilling now began to be felt along the spine, but it was not in any way disagreeable. Little by little, sensa- tion bega« to manifest itself; first, in the throat and body, and gradual- ly extended to the extremities, but it was some time before full sensa- tion returned, and my throat became really painful. Reflecting upon these phenomena, the idea flashed into my mind, that / had made ihe discovery I had, for so long a time been in quest of—a means of rendering the nerves of sensation temporarily insensible to pain, so as to admit of the performance of a surgical operation on an individual without his suffering pain iberefrom. That / did draw this inference, and did fully declare my unqualified belief' in both the safety and efficiency of this method of destroying all sensation of pain in the human body dur- ing the most severe surgical operations, no one doubts, and it is fully proved by abundant legal evidence which has never been impeached or doubled in any quarter. I beg leave to refer you again to the evidence of Dr. Wm. F. Chan- ning, a man of science, Fellow of the America* Academy of Arts and Sciences, son of the late Dr. Wm. E. Channing, our most eminent di- vine. To the testimony of Dr. S. A. Bemis, one of our most emi- nent dentists. To the letter of Mr. John H. Blake, a distinguished chemist, and to the testimony of Mr. Henry D. Fowle, one of the best and most faithful apothecaries of Boston, and to the letters of Dr. Geo- T. Dexter, of New York, and of D. Jay Brown, of New York, obtained since ihis paper was written. Their evidence, wilh that of my worthy friend and former pupil, Mr. Joseph Peabody, eleve ingenieur a /' ecole des mines, at Paris, prove that I had made this discovery, and long before any other person had even tried a single experiment of the kind. [See, also, the new and very important evidence of Dr. Geo. T. Dexter, of New York, and that of Mr. D. J. Brown.] In the rapid inductions of the mind, it is not always easy to trace the exact method of thought by which we suddenly arrive at great truths; but so far as I can trace the reasonings that rapidly flowed through my mind, it was based upon principles well understood by all educated physicians and physiologists. 1 knew that the nerves of sensation were distinct from those of motion, and of organic life, and that one system might be paralyzed without necessarily and immediately affecling the others. I had seen often enough in my medical practice, the nerves of sensation paralyzed without those of motion being affected and those](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21132203_0003.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
