Anesthesia History Flashcards
(117 cards)
What barriers where found to surgical intervention in the early years of the profession?
Pain, Infection & Blood Loss
What did ancient practices of anesthesia include?
Administration of opium poppy, cocoa leaves, mandrake root, alcohol, and phlebotomy.
How did a Greek philosopher in the 1st century A.D. defined “anesthesia”?
as a narcotic like effect caused by the mandrogara root
What was the definition of anesthesia in 1721 England?
“anesthesia” was defined as a “defect of sensation”
When was ether first introduced?
1540: Chemical structure of Ether introduced
When was nitrous oxide discovered? Who discovered nitrous oxide?
1773: N2O discovered by Joseph Priestly
N2O and O2 isolated
CO2 was the first isolated gas
Who was consider the “pioneer of chemistry”?
Joseph Priestly
Who discovered the analgesic properties of nitrous oxide? When?
1800: Humphrey Davies discovers analgesic properties of N2O
What impact did Humphrey Davies have to early anesthesia?
-Davies a student of Priestly’s
-Coined “laughing gas”
-Published the chemistry of N2O – first paragraph about decreasing pain with surgery
(Missed opportunity?)
Who is William E. Clark (Jan. 1842)?
Chemist, One obscure note in a medical journal that lacked corroboration
Who is Crawford Long (March 30, 1842)?
Surgeon/obstretician and pharmacist, Claimed to perform the first ether anesthetic, although his account was not published until 1848 in the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal
What important anesthesia history occurred in December 10, 1844?
Wells and his spouse attended a demonstration of the unique effects of N2O given by Quincy Colton.
What unique effects did Wells observe about nitrous oxide?
- A volunteer sustained a leg laceration without perceiving pain
- This phenomenon gave Wells the idea of painless dentistry
- Later his peers claimed that Wells had already experimented with N2O several years previously
Wells takes on _______as a student (both dentists)
William Morton
What important anesthesia history occurred in January 1845 with Wells and Morton?
Wells (with Morton) attempted public demonstration of a tooth extraction with N20
-Patient groaned and Morton and Wells publically ridiculed
Who identified “Letheon”?
Morton contacted surgeon John Collin Warren to say he had “Letheon” for sleep and wanted to demonstrate its merits
What did Morton plan to use Letheon for?
An operation on patient Edward Gilbert Abbott at Mass General Hospital. Successful demonstration of Letheon October 16, 1846. Applied for a patent
When was successful demonstration of letheon completed?
October 16, 1846
What is the Ether Dome?
location of the first recorded public demonstration of ether anesthesia, October 16, 1846 in the Bulfinch Building of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Fruit Street, Boston, MA
Where is the ether monument located?
The Ether Monument (1868) in the Boston Public Garden, foot of Malborough & Charles Streets.
What important anesthesia history occurred in November 4, 1847?
James Simpson, obstetrician, uses chloroform
Who was another important individual to the field of anesthesia that also used General anesthesia?
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Inhalation parties rise in popularity
What are the characteristics of chloroform (trichloromethane) (5)?
Chlorination of methane gas (sweet smelling, colorless, nonflammable): halogenated hydrocarbon
When was chloroform first prepared?
in 1831 by the American chemist Dr. Samuel Guthrie, who combined whiskey with chlorinated lime in an attempt to produce a cheap pesticide