Me Pipe

[plankmaker]

Richmond Dispatch.
Tuesday morning.......Nov. 12, 1861.

The battle at Leesburg--interesting description — an affecting Incident, &c

"Pat" and his pipe.
It is related of one of the wounded prisoners here, "a wrath of a boy" from the " ould country," that when he was shot he had a pipe in his mouth and was puffing away most industriously. Unfortunately for him, however, the bullet entered the corner of one eye and came out behind the ear, causing a profuse flow of blood, in the midst of which he lost his pipe. Shortly after being brought to the hospital, another young Pat, who was shot in the breast, recognized his voice as belonging to a member of his company, and creeping over to the bedside of his comrade, who was lying on his back with a wet cloth over his face his first salutation as he raised the latter, was, "An sure, Mike, where's yer pipe?"

"Arrah, bad luck to the pipe. It laped from me mouth when I struck the ground, and I've not sane it since. Its fifty cents an a good pipe that's gone from me, beded."

"Sure why didn't ye save it, Mike?""Save it," replied Mike"how the divil could I save it when I couldn't sa a smitheren beyant the pint o' me nose Faith, it was all stars and no stripes that I saw in the air, Pat."

[sbl]

My father felt that way about his GI false teeth when he was wounded.

[plankmaker]

You could get those back in the day as well. However, I'm thinking the painless part was more of a matter of opinion.

The Daily Dispatch: November 1, 1860.

Dentistry

Artificial Teeth.
--the Cheoplastic and Vulcanite Process.--G. W. Jones, Dentist, having the right for the above mode of making Teeth, and being satisfied of its absolute superiority over all other methods can with confidence commend it to those desiring full or partial sets of teeth, and especially such as may be dissatisfied with those they are now using. The perfect adaptation of the plate to the mouth, and the suction thereby secured, enables him to insert one or more teeth without clasps.--This method having been adopted by those standing highest in the profession, North and South, testimonials will be given and specimens exhibited to those wishing to see them. Sets of Teeth, on gold or any other plate will of course be made for those preferring them. Filling, Cleansing, Extracting, and all other operations gently and thoroughly performed. Teeth extracted by Electricity with out pain

Office on Main street, opposite Corinthian Hall

[sbl]

"...-This method having been adopted by those standing highest in the profession, North and South, ....."

National re-Union through dental expertise.

[Spinster]

I still think Doc B should set up at an event with chair, bowl, and pliers


Ill even supply the correct bowl.

[sbl]

I'm curious about the electrical part.

[plankmaker]

I'll have to remember which period medical book I read about it in. I'm sure it is still around here somewhere. However, where I read it was used was on limbs where the wound resulted in serious splintering of bone in a leg or an arm. They would take a positive and negative lead and place them above and below the area they were operating on. They would then pass a current through the area being operated on and it would act as an anesthetic. They would remove the splintered bone and put the two relatively clean ends near each other so they would mend. The arm or leg might be several inches shorter, but it would be relatively functional. They must have used smalled lead in the mouth to isolate teeth.

[plankmaker]

Here is the short version:

Richmond Dispatch.
Monday morning...Oct. 7, 1861

Surgical Miscellanies.

We have been furnished by a medical gentleman with the following extracts from various authorities, which may be of use, as suggestions to those having the care of our sick and wounded soldiers:

Electrical Anesthesia in Surgical Operations.--At the public operation room of the Medical College of Buffalo, Prof Fr.Hamilton, Surgeon, succeeded in suppressing pain by this method, in an elkoplastic operation on the left leg of a sailer aged 25. The object was to cure an intractable ulcer, live inches by three. A wet bandage, three inches wide, was wound around the limb six or seven times, above the ulcer, and a flexible copper wire wound around the bandage about twenty times and then secured. A similar bandage was placed at the ankle; the positive pole attached to the upper, and the negative to the lower bandage. A gentle current was then passed through the limb until [ the muscles ] contracted and severe pressure was felt. It was then moderated and kept steady for five minutes, when the surgeon removed every particle of diseased flesh from the muscular or bared parts. The patient said he felt no pain. The apparatus was then removed and applied to the right leg, from which a piece of healthy flesh was cut out, corresponding in size and shape to the orifice made by the extirpation of the ulcer. The flow of blood was so profuse that scalding water was used to arrest it. The patient still answered that he felt no pain. While the blood was flowing, the surgeon dropped some hot water on the other leg, just above the knee, when the sailor immediately exclaimed, "Oh, that's hot !"

It was proved by a subsequent experiment that the anesthia of a limb is more complete when the positive pole is connected with the upper, and the negative pole with the lower bandage, than when this position is reversed. [Dental Cosmos]

[flattop32355]

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (acronym TENS) is the principle being used in the mentioned procedures. There was a big movement in the 1980's for it in dentistry, but it proved to be not as effective as advertised.

Pretty much, you overload the desired nerve trunk with an electric current so that its normal electrochemical pathway is overwhelmed and unnoticed by the body.

Very nice in those cases where it worked, well. Not so nice when it didn't.

Mrs. Lawson, I would be more than happy to participate in such an impression at an event of your choosing. However, my supplies of chloroform and ether are greatly diminished, so we may have to resort to each patient acquiring his own, personal allotment of anesthetic, in whatever form it may be found.

There are also no guarantees that said operator will be fully within his wits during said procedures, as it is a thankless job, and said operator must find solace and comfort where, and how, he can, and at whatever hour he may find it.