CHAPTER X. 

 ANESTHESIA AND ANESTHETICS. 



Divinum opus est sedare dolorem. — Hippocrates. 



DEFINITION. — Anaesthesia is defined as the rehef of 

 surgical pain by artificial means. Literally, the word sig- 

 nifies want of feeling or sensibility, but today it is seldom 

 applied to diminution or loss of sensibility caused by 

 pathological states. Anaesthesia is now synonymous with 

 surgical anjesthesia. 



HISTORY. — From the remotest antiquity surgeons 

 recognized the absolute necessity of attenuating the pain 

 of surgical operations, as an essential prerequisite to the 

 successful progress of the art, and as a consequence various 

 attempts were made, continuously, during all epochs, to 

 accomplish some patent results in that connection. Pa- 

 tients were intoxicated with alcohol or stupefied with other 

 narcotics; the vessels of the neck were compressed to lower 

 the sensibility of the brain ; nerve trunks and blood vessels 

 were compressed above the seat of operation; and parts of 

 the body were chilled or even frozen ; all in vain efforts to 

 diminish the inevitable pain that rendered surgery quite 

 incapable of advancing. The practice of surgery in those 

 days was restricted to the absolutely necessary operations, 

 such as amputations, reposition of fractures and luxations, 

 treatment of accidental wounds, etc. There was no effort 

 to add to the category of surgical operations, because sur- 

 gery was no more inviting to the surgeon than to the 

 suffering patient. The major surgical operation was a 

 veritable horror, and even minor procedures were always 

 approached with the greatest reluctance. 



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