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Feature of the month - March 2009

Letter to Dr FW Cock

Is it possible that the first operation to be conducted on an anaesthetised patient actually took place at a meeting of The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society in 1846 a matter of days or weeks before the surgeon Robert Liston on 21st December of that year carried out, for the first time in this country, an amputation on a patient similarly anaesthetised with ether?

The letter below seems to suggest that this may be the case.
It was written to Dr FW Cock, a member of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society who had advertised in the press for any witnesses to Liston's groundbreaking operation. No record of the meeting referred to by Dr Duncan in his letter has been traced in the Society's archives, indicating either the unreliability of Dr Duncan's memory of events from more than 60 years ago, or, given its risky and controversial proceedings, an unadvertised and clandestine meeting held at the Society's premises.

 

Camperdown
Roxburgh Park
Harrow on the Hill
Oct 23, 1910

Dear Sir,
    Your letter in the BM Journal of this date carries me back to the time of Robt. Liston & Lord Lister - the former my idolised teacher of Surgery, the latter my fellow student of present fame, - R. Liston, who was celebrated for his remarkably quick & sure operations, was in 1846 a strong opponent of Anaesthesia. As the 1st in Great Britain to inhale aether vapours I, now in my 88th year, entered University College in 1846.
By the friendship of Mr Holme Coutts late Surgeon of St Barts in the Autumn of 1846, I gained admission to the meetings of the Medico-Chirurgical Society to hear Geo Johnson's lecture on the kidney. After the Lecture, Dr Morton of Boston U.S. (the inventor of painless Dentistry, (or his assistant? From America - exhibited his inhaling apparatus. A patient from the U.C. Hospital who had promised to appear to be tested, failed to do so. And as no one else would submit to the trial, I offered myself for during the enforced 5 years apprenticeship of that time I had made and studied the effects of Nitrous Oxide after the method of Sir H. Davy & practiced its effects on my young acquaintances so safely that I boldly and fully inspired the aether vapour - became unconscious, & awoke in full health & in presence (sic) of many anxious faces, the only inconvenience being an itching or stinging of my wrists which showed that needles had been inserted (without my feeling their punctures at the time) & produced a little bleeding. The Boston visitor thanked me heartily & Mr Liston was so convinced of the value of Anaesthesia that he - a few days later - engaged the services of Mr P. Squire Chemist of Oxford St, and his nephew, Dr Squire of Orchard St in the construction of an apparatus for administration of aether vapour for the 1st time in this country at University College. Previously it was painful to hear the groans of patients & often I saw new students leave the operating theatre with pale faces & nervous disturbance.
Surgery began to rise in estimation & soon attained a remarkable status. I have often wished to communicate my knowledge to the founder of painless operations but know not whether he still exists & how to address the Society at Boston which I fancy has yearly meetings to celebrate Dr Morton's discovery.
Believe me, Yours faithfully,
H.M. Duncan, M.D. Lond. MRCS.

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