Nowadays when you go in for a minor or major operation, there is no question over anaesthetic being used. That wasn't the case for patients until the 1840s, poor devils. Up until then the patient was, in some cases, restrained to stop them thrashing around and putting the surgeon off his work. If lucky the patient was given alcohol or opium to help ease the pain. In other cases a piece of wood or leather was given to bite down on or, if you were a soldier, a bullet.
On 16th October 1846 John Collins Warren undertook the first surgical operation using ether as an anaesthetic in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Less than three months later an Irish surgeon would carry out the first amputation under the influence of ether ever preformed in Ireland.
McDonnell started teaching anatomy in the Richmond School in 1826 and was elected a member of the College in May 1827. He became Surgeon to the Richmond Hospital in 1835 and for four years, from 1842-1846, he edited the Dublin Journal of Medical Science. He was elected the Professor of Anatomy in the College in 1847 and held the position until 1851. During this time he used his highly respected surgical status to address the Lord Lieutenant on the poor and dangerous position of Dublin hospitals.
McDonnell had read about the breakthrough of ether being used by Warren as an anaesthetic in Boston and felt that he could do the same in Ireland. So on 1st January 1847 he decided to test the effects of ether on himself.
'He procured a bottle with two necks, into one of which he introduced the (air-tight) tube of a funnel into which he placed a sponge saturated with ether. In the other he introduced a double tube furnished with a ball-valve through which respiration might be performed with freedom'
- Ulster Medical Journal 2013; 82
With the help of a colleague, Alex M'Donnell, John made himself unconscious for a number of seconds. This is what McDonnell wanted. He was now confident of the abilities of ether and would carry out the operation he was preparing for: the amputation of an arm from the elbow.
Mary Kane was 18 years old and from Drogheda, Co. Meath. In late November 1846 she tripped and fell while carrying hawthorn sticks. One of the thorns stuck into Mary's arm near the elbow.
Her arm became inflamed and even though turpentine and copper sulphate was applied, Mary's condition deteriorated. Finally she was sent to the Richmond Hospital. There she continued to suffer from severe pain in her elbow joint, a large ulcer had formed and over the next four weeks she became very weak and emaciated.
McDonnell decided that amputation was the only option for Mary and he would try ether as an anaesthetic. When Mary was successfully unconscious, with the help of Mr. Carmichael, Dr. Hutton, Dr. Adams and Mr. Hamilton, McDonnell removed her arm from the elbow joint down.
These are two types of instruments that would have been used at this time.
Mary's pupils were dilated during the procedure and her heart rate rose slightly when the sawing was taking place. But when she awoke Mary said she had felt nothing of the operation. It was a success!
'I regard this discovery as one of the most important of this century. It will rank with vaccination, and other of the great benefits that medical science has bestowed on man. It adds to the long list of those benefits, and establishes another claim, in favour of that science, upon the respect and gratitude of mankind.'
- Ulster Medical Journal 2013; 82
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy
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| Illustration of a patient ready for surgery in the 16th century Taken from The History of Ophthalmology |
On 16th October 1846 John Collins Warren undertook the first surgical operation using ether as an anaesthetic in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Less than three months later an Irish surgeon would carry out the first amputation under the influence of ether ever preformed in Ireland.
John McDonnell, father of Robert McDonnell who has featured previously in this blog, was born in Belfast on 11th February 1796. In 1813 he began his medical studies by being apprenticed to Richard Carmichael. He attended the University and College Schools and entered Trinity College Dublin. By 1825 McDonnell had received his B.A from Trinity; obtained his Letters Testimonial from the College; studied in London and Paris and received his M.D from Edinburgh.
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| Re-enactment of the first use of ether as an anaesthetic in Boston by John Collins Warren |
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| John McDonnell (1796-1892) |
McDonnell started teaching anatomy in the Richmond School in 1826 and was elected a member of the College in May 1827. He became Surgeon to the Richmond Hospital in 1835 and for four years, from 1842-1846, he edited the Dublin Journal of Medical Science. He was elected the Professor of Anatomy in the College in 1847 and held the position until 1851. During this time he used his highly respected surgical status to address the Lord Lieutenant on the poor and dangerous position of Dublin hospitals.
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| RCSI/PAMP/382 |
McDonnell had read about the breakthrough of ether being used by Warren as an anaesthetic in Boston and felt that he could do the same in Ireland. So on 1st January 1847 he decided to test the effects of ether on himself.
'He procured a bottle with two necks, into one of which he introduced the (air-tight) tube of a funnel into which he placed a sponge saturated with ether. In the other he introduced a double tube furnished with a ball-valve through which respiration might be performed with freedom'
- Ulster Medical Journal 2013; 82
With the help of a colleague, Alex M'Donnell, John made himself unconscious for a number of seconds. This is what McDonnell wanted. He was now confident of the abilities of ether and would carry out the operation he was preparing for: the amputation of an arm from the elbow.
Mary Kane was 18 years old and from Drogheda, Co. Meath. In late November 1846 she tripped and fell while carrying hawthorn sticks. One of the thorns stuck into Mary's arm near the elbow.
Her arm became inflamed and even though turpentine and copper sulphate was applied, Mary's condition deteriorated. Finally she was sent to the Richmond Hospital. There she continued to suffer from severe pain in her elbow joint, a large ulcer had formed and over the next four weeks she became very weak and emaciated.
McDonnell decided that amputation was the only option for Mary and he would try ether as an anaesthetic. When Mary was successfully unconscious, with the help of Mr. Carmichael, Dr. Hutton, Dr. Adams and Mr. Hamilton, McDonnell removed her arm from the elbow joint down.
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| Murphy's Chloroform Inhaler RCSI/MI/173 |
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| Clover's Portable Ether Inhaler RSCI/MI/249 |
These are two types of instruments that would have been used at this time.
Mary's pupils were dilated during the procedure and her heart rate rose slightly when the sawing was taking place. But when she awoke Mary said she had felt nothing of the operation. It was a success!
'I regard this discovery as one of the most important of this century. It will rank with vaccination, and other of the great benefits that medical science has bestowed on man. It adds to the long list of those benefits, and establishes another claim, in favour of that science, upon the respect and gratitude of mankind.'
- Ulster Medical Journal 2013; 82
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy