Ether and chloroform : a compendium of their history, surgical use, dangers and discovery. Bound with: Anaesthetic agents : their mode of exhibition and physiological effects . by BIGELOW, HENRY JACOB - 1848

Boston: David Clapp, Printer, 1848. First edition. Original Wraps. Very Good +. 8vo(24 cm). Original offprint with printed orange wrapper housed in a cloth clamshell box. Collation: [2] 27 [1]p.; 18p. This is a very good to fine copy in original wrappers. The first article was originally published in the Boston Medical Surgical Journal in 1846. The second article is from the Transactions of the American Medical Association, Vol. 1.

Bigelow had great concern for the suffering of surgical patients and was interested in finding an ideal agent, which could be used as an anaesthetic. Ether had the potential to be of use though there was concern over its flammability. Bigelow used ether and published his observations on use of vapors from sulphuric ether in the Boston Medical Surgical Journal in 1846. In the present report, Bigelow discusses the pros and cons on using ether vapors or chloroform and compares this, in the second article, with other anaesthetic agents. This clinical research was a major advancement for surgical operations where pain to the patient was greatly minimized or not felt during the surgery. (G & M, 5730).