Ether Flashcards
When was ether discovered?
1846
Who first used ether?
John C Warren, an American surgeon
Who was the first person in Britain to use ether?
Robert Liston
Who was the dentist involved?
William Mortan
What were the pros of ether?
Patients didn’t feel a thing, their muscles relaxed
What were the cons of ether?
Surgeons had no idea the dosage; it caused vomiting; it was explosive and highly flammable; the face masks were difficult with facial operations.
What did Robert Liston do?
He was a surgeon. He was a very quick surgeon. He amputated a leg in less than 30 seconds.
One operation of Liston’s that went wrong?
He amputated so quickly he cut off a man’s testicle too.
One operation of Liston’s that also went wrong?
He slashed the coat of a spectator, who, fearing to have been stabbed, died of fright. In this same op, he cut off his assistant’s fingers and both the assistant and the patient died of infection. He is the only surgeon with a 300% death rate for one operation.
