Henry Jacob Bigelow (1818-90).  - photo 1

Henry Jacob Bigelow (1818-90). 

Lot 41
28.04.2021 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 1 500
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 519331
Lot 41 | Henry Jacob Bigelow (1818-90). 
Estimate value
£ 1 500 – 2 500
Henry Jacob Bigelow (1818-90). 
‘Insensibility During Surgical Operations Produced by Inhalation’. Reprinted from The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. Vol. XXXV. No. 16. Wednesday, November 18, 1846. [n.p., n.d.].
First separate printing of the announcement of the discovery of surgical anaesthesia, the most significant contribution to medicine made in the United Sates during the nineteenth century. ‘It has long been an important problem in medical science to devise some method of mitigating the pain of surgical operations […]’. On 16 October 1846, at the Massachusetts General Hospital, W. T. G. Morton demonstrated the use of ether as an anaesthetic in an operation which was witnessed by, among others, Henry Jacob Bigelow. Morton had intended to keep his discovery secret in order to patent it, but after Bigelow communicated the results to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Morton authorized him to publish a detailed account. This was first read before the Boston Society of Medical Improvements on the 9th of November and appeared shortly after in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. The present pamphlet is a resetting of the original article, but omits the last seven paragraphs which referred to Charles Jackson's (a Boston doctor) and Morton's proposed patent. Morton and Jackson were later involved in lawsuits to establish priority of discovery. Fulton and Stanton Anesthesia, IV.3; Cushing B-380; Norman One Hundred Books Famous in Medicine, 64a; Norman 233; cf. Welcome II p.166 (Journal); cf. Garrison & Morton 5651 (Journal).

Octavo (229 x 155mm). 4 leaves (lightly toned, some small chips to blank extremities). Stitched as issued; housed in custom modern cloth chemise and morocco-backed slipcase.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
14.04.2021 – 28.04.2021
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.