Discovery of Anesthesia celebrated at Crawford W. Long museum

Before the invention of anesthesia, doctors sometimes used alcohol or hypnotism in an attempt to sedate surgery patients, who were, understandably, jumpy at the thought of being cut.

Georgia native Crawford Long set up a doctor’s office in Jefferson in 1841, having completed his internship in New York and graduated from medical school in Pennsylvania. While attending college parties (some were called “ether frolics”) Long had noticed that those under the effects of ether who fell or hurt themselves seemed unaware of the pain. So in 1842, Long removed a tumor from the neck of a young man sedated with sulfuric ether. (Keep this in mind next time you have to defend attending a wild party – just doing research for the next great invention.) He continued to experiment with the use of anesthesia. (In 1849, a Boston doctor published an article about the use of anesthesia, so Long had to defend his being the “first,” because although he had witnesses, he hadn’t published his findings.)

The Crawford W. Long Museum in Jefferson will have a grand re-opening Saturday January 9. Although the museum has existed  since 1957, it has been closed for the last 18 months undergoing extensive renovation. It is housed in an 1880s structural brick building which had deteriorated over time. Manager Vicki Starnes explained to me that “structural brick” means the walls were built completely of bricks, unlike today’s brick facades. Holes that had been drilled for such 20th century necessities as heating and electricity had allowed water to seep in, making the renovations imperative.

The museum has a number of artifacts of Dr. Long’s – among them his cradle, desk and chess set. New exhibits have been designed to make the history of that time compelling. Adjacent to the doctor’s office and apothecary, visitors can explore the old 1858 Pendergrass store, a real general store from that time.

Grand opening events on Saturday include horse-drawn carriage rides through historic-Jefferson and a special commemorative gift for the first 100 guests. In the evening, the museum is holding a fund-raising dinner at Fusion on the Square restaurant, followed by a special-guided tour. (Tickets to the dinner are $50. Call the museum at 706-367-5307.)

Regular admission is $5 for adults, $4 seniors and $3 students. Hours are Tuesday – Friday 10-5 and Saturday 10-4. Jefferson is located north on I-85 off exit 137. (See map.)

(Photo courtesy Crawford W. Long Museum. Used with permission.)