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.)
4/14
![VS'2 of sensation being influenced, arid both the nerves of motion and *****? tion paralyzed without the ganglionic nerves, or those ol organic ldo being affected. 1 knew, also, that the nerves of sensation are Stationed as sentinels near the exterior of our bodies, to warn us of danger from external causes of injury, and that there is no feeling in the internal por- tions of our bodies.' f knew, also, that when the knife is applied 111 surgical operations, thai there is little sense of pain in any parts beneath the skin. This, my own surgical experience, as well as thai ol others, had long ago demonstrated, and the philosophy of these physiological facts was made known to the medical world in England and m this country, by the researches of Sir Charles Bell, of England, and was fully proved by all the eminent anatomists and physiologists in Europe. Now, I had observed, 1st. That the nerves of sensation in my own body were rendered insensible to pain for some time before unconscious- ness took place. 2d. That all pain had ceased in a suffering part of my body during the stages of etherization preceding and following the unconscious state. 3d. That this state of insensibility of the nerves of sensation contin- ued for a sufficient length of time to admit of most surgical operations, and I had reason to believe that during the unconscious period the de- gree of insensibility was still greater, so that it would be impossible that any pain could be felt in a surgical operation. 4th. That the nerves of motion and of the involuntary functions of respiration and of circulation were in no wise affected ; the functions of life going on as usual, while the nerves of sensation were rendered de- void of feeling, and the body could suffer no pain. By long experience in the trial of ether vapor in spasmodic asthma, and from numerous carefully conducted physiological experiments, 1 had learned that the vapor of ether could be safely inhaled into the lungs to an extent before believed to be highly dangerous. [Beck's Med. Jurisp.] That 1 did first discover that the nerves of sensation could be, and tvere paralyzed to all sensation temporarily and safely by the inhahalion of ether vapor, is admitted by all scientific men who have examined the evidence. That 1 did first prescribe Us administration for the purpose of preventing' all sensation of pain in surgical operations, with the guarantee o-n my medi- cal and scientific responsibility of its enlre safety, if my directions were strictly observed, and did thus introduce the use of pure sulphuric ether vapor mixed with air into surgical practice is fully proved by abundant (rs/imony, and is admitted by all persons who have examined the evidence that I have caused to be printed. The only point contested by my opponents is, that in their opinion I had not sufficient reason for drawing the inference that I did, as they admit, draw from my data, and that I could not have known the full extent of the insensibility to pain of a surgical operation, and that this remained to be verified by actual trial. Now, it appears to me clear enough, that when I had discovered that the nerves of sensation were paralyzed, lhat I did know that the body could feel no pain, and that my induction was the most natural thing in the progress of reasoning from my well ascertained data. To the ignorant, it is easy to appeal by alle- gations like these, of my very unscientific opponents, that Dr. Jackson](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21132203_0004.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
