Transcribed from the 1824 Office of W. Smith edition by DavidPrice,
A
LETTER
ON
SUSPENDED ANIMATION,
CONTAINING
EXPERIMENTS
Shewing that it may be safelyemployed during
OPERATIONS ON ANIMALS,
With theView of ascertaining
ITS PROBABLEUTILITY IN SURGICAL OPERATIONS ON THE
Human Subject,
Addressed to
T. A. KNIGHT, ESQ. OF DOWNTONCASTLE,
Herefordshire,
ONE OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE ROYALSOCIETY.
BY DR. H.HICKMAN,
OF SHIFFNAL;
Member of the Royal MedicalSocieties of Edinburgh, and of
the Royal College of Surgeons, London.
IRONBRIDGE: Printed at the Officeof W. Smith.
1824.
p. 3TOTHE PUBLIC.
At the particular request ofgentlemen of the first rate talent, and who rank high in thescientific world, it is, that the author of the following letteris induced to lay it before the public generally, but moreparticularly his medical brethren; in the hope that some one orother, may be more fortunate in reducing the object of it beyonda possibility of doubt. It may be said, and with truth,that publications are too frequently the vehicles ofself-adulation, and p.4as such, suffer greatly from the lash of severecriticism; but the author begs to assure his readers, that hisviews are totally different, merely considering it a dutyincumbent on him, (as a medical practitioner, and servant to thepublic), to make known any thing which has not been tried, andwhich ultimately may add something towards the relief of humansuffering, arising from acute disease. The only method ofobtaining this end, is, in the author’s opinion, candiddiscussion, and liberality of sentiment, which, too commonly is adeficient ingredient in the welfare of so important a profession,productive of serious consequences, not only to the partiesthemselves, but to the patient whose life is entrusted to theircare. The duty and object, however, of the Physician andSurgeon, is generally considered to be the relief of afellow-creature, by applying certain remedies to the cure ofinternal affections, or cutting some portion of the body, wherebyparts are severed from each other altogether, or relievingcavities of the aggravating cause of disease. There is notan individual, he believes, p. 5who does not shudder at the idea of anoperation, however skilful the Surgeon, or urgent the case,knowing the great pain that must necessarily be endured; and itis frequently lamented by the operator himself, that somethinghas not been done to tranquilize fear, and diminish the agony ofthe patient. With this view of the subject then, it is,that he submits his observations and experiment