a history of science-4-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　one　had　made　the　slightest　advance　along　the　same　line　until　an　American　dentist　renewed　the　investigation。

In　view　of　the　sequel；　Davy's　experiments　merit　full　attention。　Here　is　his　own　account　of　them；　as　written　in　1799：


〃Immediately　after　a　journey　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…six　miles；　in　which　I　had　no　sleep　the　preceding　night；　being　much　exhausted；　I　respired　seven　quarts　of　nitrous　oxide　gas　for　near　three　minutes。　It　produced　the　usual　pleasurable　effects　and　slight　muscular　motion。　I　continued　exhilarated　for　some　minutes　afterwards；　but　in　half　an　hour　found　myself　neither　more　nor　less　exhausted　than　before　the　experiment。　I　had　a　great　propensity　to　sleep。

〃To　ascertain　with　certainty　whether　the　more　extensive　action　of　nitrous　oxide　compatible　with　life　was　capable　of　producing　debility；　I　resolved　to　breathe　the　gas　for　such　a　time；　and　in　such　quantities；　as　to　produce　excitement　equal　in　duration　and　superior　in　intensity　to　that　occasioned　by　high　intoxication　from　opium　or　alcohol。

〃To　habituate　myself　to　the　excitement；　and　to　carry　it　on　gradually；　on　December　26th　I　was　enclosed　in　an　air…tight　breathing…box；　of　the　capacity　of　about　nine　and　one…half　cubic　feet；　in　the　presence　of　Dr。　Kinglake。　　After　I　had　taken　a　situation　in　which　I　could　by　means　of　a　curved　thermometer　inserted　under　the　arm；　and　a　stop…watch；　ascertain　the　alterations　in　my　pulse　and　animal　heat；　twenty　quarts　of　nitrous　oxide　were　thrown　into　the　box。

〃For　three　minutes　I　experienced　no　alteration　in　my　sensations；　though　immediately　after　the　introduction　of　the　nitrous　oxide　the　smell　and　taste　of　it　were　very　evident。　　In　four　minutes　I　began　to　feel　a　slight　glow　in　the　cheeks　and　a　generally　diffused　warmth　over　the　chest；　though　the　temperature　of　the　box　was　not　quite　50　degrees。　。　。　。　In　twenty…five　minutes　the　animal　heat　was　100　degrees；　pulse　124。　In　thirty　minutes　twenty　quarts　more　of　gas　were　introduced。

〃My　sensations　were　now　pleasant；　I　had　a　generally　diffused　warmth　without　the　slightest　moisture　of　the　skin；　a　sense　of　exhilaration　similar　to　that　produced　by　a　small　dose　of　wine；　and　a　disposition　to　muscular　motion　and　to　merriment。

〃In　three…quarters　of　an　hour　the　pulse　was　104　and　the　animal　heat　not　99。5　degrees；　the　temperature　of　the　chamber　64　degrees。　The　pleasurable　feelings　continued　to　increase；　the　pulse　became　fuller　and　slower；　till　in　about　an　hour　it　was　88；　when　the　animal　heat　was　99　degrees。　Twenty　quarts　more　of　air　were　admitted。　I　had　now　a　great　disposition　to　laugh；　luminous　points　seemed　frequently　to　pass　before　my　eyes；　my　hearing　was　certainly　more　acute；　and　I　felt　a　pleasant　lightness　and　power　of　exertion　in　my　muscles。　In　a　short　time　the　symptoms　became　stationary；　breathing　was　rather　oppressed；　and　on　account　of　the　great　desire　for　action　rest　was　painful。

〃I　now　came　out　of　the　box；　having　been　in　precisely　an　hour　and　a　quarter。　The　moment　after　I　began　to　respire　twenty　quarts　of　unmingled　nitrous　oxide。　A　thrilling　extending　from　the　chest　to　the　extremities　was　almost　immediately　produced。　　I　felt　a　sense　of　tangible　extension　highly　pleasurable　in　every　limb；　my　visible　impressions　were　dazzling　and　apparently　magnified；　I　heard　distinctly　every　sound　in　the　room；　and　was　perfectly　aware　of　my　situation。　　By　degrees；　as　the　pleasurable　sensations　increased；　I　lost　all　connection　with　external　things；　trains　of　vivid　visible　images　rapidly　passed　through　my　mind　and　were　connected　with　words　in　such　a　manner　as　to　produce　perceptions　perfectly　novel。

〃I　existed　in　a　world　of　newly　connected　and　newly　modified　ideas。　I　theorized；　I　imagined　that　I　made　discoveries。　　When　I　was　awakened　from　this　semi…delirious　trance　by　Dr。　Kinglake；　who　took　the　bag　from　my　mouth；　indignation　and　pride　were　the　first　feelings　produced　by　the　sight　of　persons　about　me。　My　emotions　were　enthusiastic　and　sublime；　and　for　a　minute　I　walked　about　the　room　perfectly　regardless　of　what　was　said　to　me。　As　I　recovered　my　former　state　of　mind；　I　felt　an　inclination　to　communicate　the　discoveries　I　had　made　during　the　experiment。　I　endeavored　to　recall　the　ideasthey　were　feeble　and　indistinct；　one　collection　of　terms；　however；　presented　itself；　and；　with　most　intense　belief　and　prophetic　manner；　I　exclaimed　to　Dr。　Kinglake；　'Nothing　exists　but　thoughts！the　universe　is　composed　of　impressions；　ideas；　pleasures；　and　pains。'　〃＇3＇


From　this　account　we　see　that　Davy　has　anaesthetized　himself　to　a　point　where　consciousness　of　surroundings　was　lost；　but　not　past　the　stage　of　exhilaration。　　Had　Dr。　Kinglake　allowed　the　inhaling…bag　to　remain　in　Davy's　mouth　for　a　few　moments　longer　complete　insensibility　would　have　followed。　As　it　was；　Davy　appears　to　have　realized　that　sensibility　was　dulled；　for　he　adds　this　illuminative　suggestion：　〃As　nitrous　oxide　in　its　extensive　operation　appears　capable　of　destroying　physical　pain；　it　may　probably　be　used　with　advantage　during　surgical　operations　in　which　no　great　effusion　of　blood　takes　place。〃＇4＇

Unfortunately　no　one　took　advantage　of　this　suggestion　at　the　time；　and　Davy　himself　became　interested　in　other　fields　of　science　and　never　returned　to　his　physiological　studies；　thus　barely　missing　one　of　the　greatest　discoveries　in　the　entire　field　of　science。　In　the　generation　that　followed　no　one　seems　to　have　thought　of　putting　Davy's　suggestion　to　the　test；　and　the　surgeons　of　Europe　had　acknowledged　with　one　accord　that　all　hope　of　finding　a　means　to　render　operations　painless　must　be　utterly　abandonedthat　the　surgeon's　knife　must　ever　remain　a　synonym　for　slow　and　indescribable　torture。　By　an　odd　coincidence　it　chanced　that　Sir　Benjamin　Brodie；　the　acknowledged　leader　of　English　surgeons；　had　publicly　expressed　this　as　his　deliberate　though　regretted　opinion　at　a　time　when　the　quest　which　he　considered　futile　had　already　led　to　the　most　brilliant　success　in　America；　and　while　the　announcement　of　the　discovery；　which　then　had　no　transatlantic　cable　to　convey　it；　was　actually　on　its　way　to　the　Old　World。

The　American　dentist　just　referred　to；　who　was；　with　one　exception　to　be　noted　presently；　the　first　man　in　the　world　to　conceive　that　the　administration　of　a　definite　drug　might　render　a　surgical　operation　painless　and　to　give　the　belief　application　was　Dr。　Horace　Wells；　of　Hartford；　Connecticut。　　The　drug　with　which　he　experimented　was　nitrous　oxidethe　same　that　Davy　had　used；　the　operation　that　he　rendered　painless　was　no　more　important　than　the　extraction　of　a　toothyet　it　sufficed　to　mark　a　principle；　the　year　of　the　experiment　was　1844。

The　experiments　of　Dr。　Wells；　however；　though　important；　were　not　sufficiently　demonstrative　to　bring　the　matter　prominently　to　the　attention　of　the　medical　world。　The　drug　with　which　he　experimented　proved　not　always　reliable；　and　he　himself　seems　ultimately　to　have　given　the　matter　up；　or　at　least　to　have　relaxed　his　efforts。　　But　meantime　a　friend；　to　whom　he　had　communicated　his　belief　and　expectations；　took　the　matter　up；　and　with　unremitting　zeal　carried　forward　experiments　that　were　destined　to　lead　to　more　tangible　results。　This　friend　was　another　dentist；　Dr。　W。　T。　G。　Morton；　of　Boston；　then　a　young　man　full　of　youthful　energy　and　enthusiasm。　He　seems　to　have　felt　that　the　drug　with　which　Wells　had　experimented　was　not　the　most　practicable　one　for　the　purpose；　and　so　for　several　months　he　experimented　with　other　allied　drugs；　until　finally　he　hit　upon　sulphuric　ether；　and　with　this　was　able　to　make　experiments　upon　animals；　and　then　upon　patients　in　the　dental　chair；　that　seemed　to　him　absolutely　demonstrative。

Full　of　eager　enthusiasm；　and　absolutely　confident　of　his　results；　he　at　once　went　to　Dr。　J。　C。　Warren；　one　of　the　foremost　surgeons　of　Boston；　and　asked　permission　to　test　his　discovery　decisively　on　one　of　the　patients　at　the　Boston　Hospital　during　a　severe　operation。　　The　request　was　granted；　the　test　was　made　on　October　16；　1846；　in　the　presence　of　several　of　the　foremost　surgeons　of　the　city　and　of　a　body　of　medical　students。　The　patient　slept　quietly　while　the　surgeon's　knife　was　plied；　and　awoke　to　astonished　comprehension　that　the　ordeal　was　over。　The　impossible；　the　miraculous；　had　been　accomplished。＇5＇

Swiftly　as　steam　could　carry　itslowly　enough　we　should　think　it　to…daythe　news　was　heralded　to　all　the　world。　It　was　received　in　Europe　with　incredulity；　which　vanished　before　repeated　experiments。　　Surgeons　were　loath　to　believe　that　ether；　a　drug　that　had　long　held　a　place　in　the　subordinate　armamentarium　of　the　physician；　could　accomplish　such　a　miracle。　But　scepticism　vanished　before　the　tests　which　any　surgeon　might　make；　and　which　surgeons　all　over　the　world　did　make　within　the　next　few　weeks。　　Then　there　came　a　lingering　outcry　from　a　few　surgeons；　notably　some　of　the　Parisians；　that　the　shock　of　pain　was　beneficial　to　the　patient；　hence　that　anaesthesiaas　Dr。　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　had　christened　the　new　methodwas　a　procedure　not　to　be　advised。　　Then；　too；　there　came　a　hue…and…cry　from　many　a　pulpit　that　pain　was　God…given；　and　hence；　on　moral　grounds；　to　be　clung　to　rather　than　renounced。　But　the　outcry　of　the　antediluvians　of　both　hospital　and　pulpit　quick