General anesthesia using gases for surgery is one of America's great nineteenth century medical achievements. In early 1845 dentist Horace Wells used nitrous oxide to painlessly extract a tooth. In October 1846 dentist William T.G. Morton successfully demonstrated ether anesthesia in Boston during an operation by John Collins Warren. The Morton/Warren event soon made it's way around the world. The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology outside Chicago maintains an extensive timeline that covers all sorts of anesthesia developments worldwide from ancient times until today.
After a long search for an anesthetic without ether's smell and other side effects and lasting longer than nitrous oxide, Dr. James Young Simpson and colleagues in Edinburgh, Scotland, discovered chloroform in November, 1847. The following May, Dr. Andrews of Montevallo reported that he had used chloroform to amputate "a negro boy's leg, "immediately below the knee", while under the influence of this powerful agent. "[H]e declared he did not feel or know anything of the operation."
I have mentioned this event in Shelby County on a previous blog post about general anesthesia in Alabama and in an article I published in 1986. I found the Montevallo demonstration covered in a Montgomery newspaper item reprinted from the Tuscaloosa Observer, and I wanted to discuss it more here.
Since the "negro boy" patient is not named, I only had a "Dr. Andrews" in Montevallo to research. Luckily, I think I've tracked him down.
David Andrews is listed in the 1850 U.S. Census and living in Shelby County. He was a physician, 30 years old, and born in North Carolina. He was married to Harriet F. Embrey [b. 9 July 1823] and they had 5 children at that time, 3 daughters and 2 sons. She died on July 31, 1855, age 32 and is buried in the Montevallo Cemetery. According to an inventory of that cemetery, an infant son is buried there also.
Also according to the 1850 U.S. Census--Slave Schedules Andrews was a slave owner. He had 5 slaves at that time, 2 adult males, a boy of 7 and 2 adult females. Thus Andrews was probably also a farmer; many physicians in the 19th century, especially in rural areas, needed additional income beyond what their practices could provide.
I have been unable to locate any more information on David Andrews, despite searches of census and cemetery records and American physician directories covering the period. Perhaps he left Alabama after his wife died.
FURTHER READING
Wright AJ. Early Use of General Anesthesia in Alabama, 1847-1853. Ala J Med Sci 1986 July; 23(3):333-335
Montgomery Tri-Weekly and Flag Advertiser 30 May 1848
Source: Gale Historical Collections. 19th Century U.S. Newspapers database
The current Montgomery Advertiser was published under this title from January 1, 1847 until December 7, 1848.
Source: Encyclopedia of Alabama
