Ukusuka Ezinhlungwini Kuya Ekubulaweni Kwezinzwa

NGAPHAMBI kwawo-1840, iziguli zazingayi egumbini lokuhlinza zinexhala. Zaziya zithuthumela! Ngani? Ngoba zazingekho izinto zokubulala izinzwa. Encwadini yakhe ethi “We Have Conquered Pain,” uDennis Fradin uthi: “Odokotela abahlinzayo kwakwaziwa ukuthi bangena egumbini lokuhlinza bephethe ibhodlela likagologo esandleni ngasinye—elinye kungelesiguli elinye kungelikadokotela ukuze akwazi ukubekezelela ukuklabalasa kwesiguli.”

Ukwenza Isiguli Sidakwe Noma “Silutheke”!

Odokotela abelaphayo nabamazinyo kanye neziguli babezama noma yini ukuze banciphise ubuhlungu bokuhlinzwa. Odokotela bamaShayina nabamaNdiya babesebenzisa insangu. I-opium nayo yayisetshenziswa kabanzi ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba, kanjalo notshwala. Udokotela wasendulo ongumGreki uDioscorides—umuntu wokuqala okwaziwa ukuthi wasebenzisa igama elithi “ukubulala izinzwa”—wathi amandla okubulala izinzwa avela emuthini owenziwe ngamamandragora newayini. Kamuva abanye odokotela baze bazama ukulutha ingqondo.

Nokho, ukuqedwa kwezinhlungu kwakungagculisi neze. Ngakho odokotela abahlinzayo nabamazinyo babesheshisa ngangokunokwenzeka; eqinisweni, isikhundla sikadokotela sasiya ngokuthi ushesha kangakanani. Kodwa ngisho noshesha kakhulu wayesizwisa ubuhlungu obukhulu isiguli. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu babevame ukukhetha ukubekezelela zonke izinhlobo zezifo, kusukela ezimileni kuya emlonyeni ogcwele amazinyo abolile, kunokuba babhekane nosizi lokuhlinzwa noma ukukhishwa izinyo.

I-sweet Vitriol Negesi Ehlekisayo

Ngo-1275, lapho ethaka amakhemikhali, udokotela waseSpain uRaymond Lullus, wenza uketshezi oluhwamukayo, olushayo alubiza ngokuthi i-sweet vitriol. Ngekhulu le-16, udokotela owayedabuka eSwitzerland owayaziwa ngokuthi uParacelsus wahogelisa izinkukhu i-sweet vitriol futhi waphawula ukuthi akukhona nje ukuthi zazilala kuphela kodwa futhi zazingabuzwa ubuhlungu. NjengoLullus owayemandulele, akazange asebenzise abantu ukuze ahlole lesi sithako. Ngo-1730, umthaki wemithi waseJalimane uFrobenius wetha lolu ketshezi ngegama lalo lamanje, elithi ether, okuyigama lesiGreki elisho ukuthi “okwasezulwini.” Kodwa kwakusazodlula iminyaka engu-112 ngaphambi kokuba kuqashelwe amandla e-ether okubulala izinzwa.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ngo-1772, usosayensi oyiNgisi uJoseph Priestley wathola igesi i-nitrous oxide. Ekuqaleni, abantu babecabanga ukuthi le gesi iyabulala, ngisho noma ihogelwe kancane. Nokho, ngo-1799, umthaki wemithi nomklami waseBrithani uHumphry Davy wanquma ukuyihlola ngokuyisebenzisa kuye ngokwakhe. Wamangala ukuthola ukuthi i-nitrous oxide yayimhlekisa, ngakho wayiqamba ngesifekethiso esithi igesi ehlekisayo. UDavy wabhala ngamandla e-nitrous oxide okubulala izinzwa, kodwa ngaleso sikhathi akukho muntu owalandelela le ndaba.

Amadili E-ether Negesi Ehlekisayo

Izinto ezihlekisayo ezazenziwa uDavy lapho ehogele igesi ehlekisayo—eyamdaka okwesikhashana—zaduma kabanzi. Ngokushesha abantu baqala ukuyihogela ukuze bazijabulise. Ngisho nababukisi basesiteji abahambela izindawo, phakathi nezinhlelo zabo, babecela izibukeli ezithandayo ukuba zize esiteji futhi zishintshane ngokuhogela i-nitrous oxide. Le gesi yayiqeda noma yimaphi amahloni, futhi ngokushesha izinto ezihlekisayo ababezenza zazenza izibukeli zife yinsini.

Ngaso leso sikhathi ukusetshenziswa kwe-ether ngenjongo yokuzijabulisa nakho kwaduma. Nokho, ngolunye usuku udokotela waseMelika osemusha uCrawford W. Long waphawula ukuthi abangane bakhe babengezwa buhlungu uma bezilimaza lapho bediyazela ngemva kokuhogela i-ether. Ngokushesha wacabanga ukuthi ingasetshenziswa ekuhlinzeni. Kwaqondana nanokuthi omunye owayebe nengxenye “edilini le-ether,” umfundi okuthiwa uJames Venable, wayenezimila ezincane ezimbili ayefuna zikhishwe. Kodwa ngenxa yokwesaba ubuhlungu bokuhlinzwa, uVenable wayelokhu ekuhlehlisa ukuhlinzwa. Ngakho-ke, uLong wasikisela ukuba ahlinzwe esahogele i-ether. UVenable wavuma, futhi ngo-March 30, 1842, wahlinzwa futhi wangezwa buhlungu. Nokho, uLong waze wakumemezela ngo-1849 lokho ayekutholile.

Odokotela Bamazinyo Nabo Bathola Indlela Yokubulala Izinzwa

Ngo-December 1844, udokotela wamazinyo wase-United States uHorace Wells waya embukisweni ohambela izindawo lapho uGardner Colton abukisa khona nge-nitrous oxide. UWells wavuma ukuzama le gesi kodwa ingqondo ayangahamba ngokuphelele, wakwazi ukubona ukuthi omunye umuntu wayekhahlela ibhentshi eliqinile kodwa engabuzwa ubuhlungu, yize noma ayopha. Ngalobo busuku uWells wanquma ukuzama i-nitrous oxide lapho ekhipha amazinyo—kodwa ngemva kokuba eseyizame kuye kuqala. Wahlela ukuba uColton amnike igesi nokuba udokotela wamazinyo ayesebenza naye uJohn Riggs amkhiphe ibamba elalimhlupha. Walikhipha ngempumelelo.

UWells wanquma ukwenza kwaziwe lokho ayekutholile ngokukwenza phambi kozakwabo. Kodwa wayethuke kakhulu futhi wasebenzisa igesi encane, okwabangela ukuba isiguli siklabalase lapho esikhipha izinyo. Ngokushesha izibukeli zikaWells zamhleka usulu. Kodwa ngabe zabuza isiguli, ngoba kamuva savuma kuWells ukuthi nakuba saklabalasa, sasingezwa buhlungu.

Ngo-September 30, 1846, omunye udokotela wamazinyo waseMelika, uWilliam Morton, wakhipha izinyo lesiguli esasihogeliswe i-ether—sona kanye isithako esasisetshenziswe uLong ngo-1842—futhi leso siguli asizwanga buhlungu. UMorton wathaka i-ether yakhe ngosizo lomthaki wemithi odumile uCharles Thomas Jackson. Ngokungafani noLong, uMorton wahlela ukuba kuboniswe umphakathi izici ze-ether zokubulala izinzwa esigulini esasihlinzwa. Ngo-October 16, 1846, eBoston, eMassachusetts, uMorton wabulala izinzwa zesiguli. Kwabe sekuthi udokotela ohlinzayo, uDkt. Warren wasihlinza—wakhipha isimila esasingaphansi komhlathi. Lokhu kuhlinza kwaba impumelelo evelele. Kwaba indab’ egudwini e-United States naseYurophu.

Okunye Okwatholakala

Ngemva kwalezi zinto ezithakazelisayo ezatholakala, kwaqhubeka kuhlolwa ngamagesi ahlukahlukene. I-chloroform, eyatholakala ngo-1831, yasetshenziswa ngokuphumelelayo ngo-1847. Ezinye izindawo zasheshe zakhetha yona njengomuthi wokubulala izinzwa. Ngokushesha i-chloroform yanikezwa abesifazane lapho bebeletha, kuhlanganise neNdlovukazi yaseNgilandi uVictoria, ngo-April 1853.

Ngokudabukisayo, umlando wokubulala izinzwa uye waba mubi ngandlela-thile. Kwavuka impikiswano evuthayo ngokuthi ubani—phakathi kukaLong, uWells, uMorton noma uJackson, usokhemisi odumile owasiza uMorton—okufanele athole udumo olukhulu ngokusungula indlela yokubulala izinzwa (kodwa hhayi ukuthola izakhi zamakhemikhali ngokwazo). Asikho isivumelwano okwafinyelelwa kuso, kodwa ngokuqonda okuzolile, abaningi bayaliqaphela igalelo lawo womane la madoda.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, kwakwenziwa intuthuko emkhakheni wokubulala izinzwa ezingxenyeni ezithile zomzimba. Kusetshenziswa izinto zokubulala izinzwa ezivumela isiguli ukuba sizwe okwenzekayo kuyilapho enye ingxenye yomzimba ibulewe izinzwa, ingezwa lutho. Namuhla, odokotela bamazinyo bavame ukubulala izinzwa engxenyeni ethile uma besebenza ngamazinyo nangezinsini, kanti odokotela bakusebenzisela ukuhlinza okuncane nokwelapha amanxeba amancane. Odokotela ababulala izinzwa bavame ukunikeza abesifazane ababelethayo imithi ebulala izinzwa.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, isayensi yokubulala izinzwa iye yaba umkhakha wezempilo okhethekile ozimele. Odokotela banamuhla ababulala izinzwa bahlanganyela ekulungiseleleni isiguli lapho siyohlinzwa. Basibulala izinzwa ngamathuluzi asezingeni eliphezulu nemithi yokubulala izinzwa eyingxube yezakhi eziningi zamakhemikhali, kanye nomoya-mpilo. Eqinisweni, iziguli eziningi zingase zingazi nokwazi ukuthi udokotela wazo usebenzise igesi ebulala izinzwa ngoba ngokuvamile isetshenziswa ngemva kokubulawa izinzwa ngomjovo kuqala. Udokotela obulala izinzwa uphinde asebenze ukudambisa izinhlungu ngemva kokuhlinzwa.

Ngakho uma kudingeka uhlinzwe ngelinye ilanga, zama ukungakhathazeki. Zibone ngeso lengqondo usetafuleni lokuhlinzwa elingenalutho emakhulwini amabili eminyaka adlule. Umnyango uyavuleka, kungene udokotela ozokuhlinza ephethe amabhodlela amabili kagologo. Khona manjalo amathuluzi asezingeni eliphezulu odokotela banamuhla ababulala izinzwa awamabi kakhulu, akunjalo?

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 22]

UKUTSHOPA Indlela YaseMpumalanga Yokuqeda Izinhlungu

Ukutshopa kuyindlela yokwelapha yamaShayina yasendulo okuthiwa iqeda izinhlungu. Abelaphi bafaka izinaliti ezindaweni ezithile emzimbeni, ngokuvamile ezikude nendawo eyelashwayo. Uma sezifakiwe, izinaliti zingase zisontwe noma zixhunywe ezintanjeni zikagesi ezinamandla aphansi. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi ukutshopa “kuyasetshenziswa eChina ukuze kubulawe izinzwa phakathi nokuhlinzwa. Izivakashi zaseNtshonalanga ziye zabona ukuhlinzwa okunzima (futhi ngokuvamile okubuhlungu) kwenziwa ezigulini ezingamaShayina ezisuke zizwa, ezibulawe izinzwa endaweni ethile ngokutshopwa kuphela.”

Ukutshopa kufanele kwenziwe kuphela umelaphi onekhono noqeqeshelwe ukwelapha. Ngokwe-Encyclopedia Americana, “kuye kwenzeka izingozi ezinkulu lapho izinaliti zokutshopa ziye zahlaba inhliziyo noma amaphaphu, futhi ukusebenzisa izinaliti ezingahlanzekile kungase kubangele isifo sokusha kwesibindi, ukugula noma izifo ezinjalo.” Yebo, ukubulawa kwezinzwa okuvamile nakho kunezakho izingozi, njengoba kunjalo nangokuhlinzwa ngokwako—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kusetshenziswa yiphi indlela yokubulala izinzwa.

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Isayensi yokubulala izinzwa isiwumkhakha okhethekile wezokwelapha

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of Departments of Anesthesia and Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, Bridgeport Hospital - CT

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]

Pages 2 and 21: Reproduced from Medicine and the Artist (Ars Medica) by permission of the Philadelphia Museum of Art/Carl Zigrosser/ Dover Publications, Inc.