The history of medicine has advanced at times, with great difficulties over the years.Many times it has had to face the fervent principles of religions, fears or traditions.Also to political or economic walls that have placed incomprehensible barriers for certain advances to be put into practice.
The case of doctors who have been forced to experiment with themselves is common in the past.When you hear this, think of those "crazy scientists" who drew novel formulas and who, like the Doctor Jeckyll, applied those impossible potions in their own bloodstream.Now, sometimes, these experiments they were the only way to prove the effectiveness of new treatments.
And indeed, there were great successes for the medical field, but sometimes the consequences were fatal for these doctors.And that was the case of Horace We lls .
Horace Wells and anesthesia in dentistry
What would become of us if we went to the dentist and there was no way to soften the pain? Obviously, we would think twice before making an appointment.But now, every time you go to your dentist, remember Mr.Wells.This Boston dentist born in 1815, opened his office in Connecticut, with his friend William TGMorton, who later, would use the ether as an anesthetic, since 1846.However, it was Wells himself, the first to use nitrous oxide (or hilarious gas) as the main way to avoid pain in dental extractions.
Although obviously, to prove that such gas had such calming and anesthetic effects, it must first prove it.And how to do it? Setting an example.And he did it during a circus exhibition by extracting several teeth before the public.And indeed, it was shown that he did not suffer any pain.The expectation was so high that his feat, it was known in large part of the country.Later, he demonstrated it once more in his own Boston office, with one of his coworkers.
And it was a success.Nitrous oxide was an excellent anesthetic, it was he who demonstrated it but he did not want to take the patent at any time, because according to Horace Wells himself, not feeling pain should be available to everyone.It should be something free.Now, the problem came in 1845, when giving classes in the Massachusetts General Hospital , applied nitrous oxide to a patient with special characteristics.He was a very obese man, with several health problems and to whom, unfortunately, the gas, did not take effect when he I rip a tooth.The pain was terrible.
And what happened then? That was the end of his career, a disaster of epic proportions for this dentist who believed he had found the remedy for people to stop fearing the dentist's office.Obviously, he did not take into account the personal characteristics of said patient.day, Dr.Wells lived in a constant flight. He went to Europe , to return to the United States after a while.By then, nitrous oxide had been replaced by ether as an anesthetic, so Wells , to advance a little more on the issue of sedation for pain, I started working with chloroform.
And of course, I started experimenting with it.Soon, and due to side effects of the chloroform, he had an attack of madness that led him to commit a horrible actor: threw acid to a group of prostitutes .Desolate and conscious days after the despicable act he had committed under the effect of chloroform, he decided That it was time to end his life.
He took a razor and cut an artery in his leg.Death was quite rapid, and of course, painless, since a dose had previously been applied just chloroform to say goodbye to that world without suffering, in which, I had already made too many mistakes.
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