Nicolas Senn: the doctor who found an unexpected use for hydrogen (5 photos)

Imagine: you've been shot in the stomach. You go to the doctor, he pulls down your pants and starts pumping hydrogen into your intestines. And then he sets it on fire. Sound familiar? No?





So, you just haven't seen Dr. Nicholas Senn, an American surgeon, founder of the US Military Medical Association and president of the American Medical Association in 1897-1898.

How to find a hole in the intestines?



Nicholas Senn in 1904

During the Spanish-American War (1898), Senn encountered frequent cases of gunshot wounds to the abdomen. The problem was that without an X-ray (they were just beginning to use it back then), it was impossible to tell whether the intestines were affected. And if they were affected, where exactly?

Then Senn came up with a brilliant and slightly crazy idea: if you pump the intestines with gas, then if there is a wound, it will start to come out through the bullet hole. All that was left was to set it on fire - and voila, the diagnosis was ready.

Moreover, hydrogen is harmless to tissues, is quickly absorbed and burns perfectly - with a blue flame.

Experiments: from dogs to himself





First, Senn tested the method on dogs. Then it was the turn of people. The first patient (a 27-year-old man with a bullet wound), unfortunately, did not survive, but the method worked - the gas came out through the wound.

But Senn conducted the craziest experiment on himself. They pumped 6 liters of hydrogen into his intestines. The gases were wildly distending the abdomen, causing cramps and cold sweat. Hydrogen was partially burped, bringing some relief.

The Legacy of a Mad Genius



Senn runs a surgical clinic for medical students, 1895

Senn's method was used in military surgery until X-rays appeared. But this was not his only contribution to medicine:

he was the first to suggest early appendectomy;

he studied leukemia, pancreatitis, and plastic surgery;

promoted first aid in the army, quoting German doctors: "The fate of the wounded depends on who applies the first bandage."



Senn's grave at Graceland Cemetery

So if you were shot in the stomach in the 19th century, the best option was not to get to Senn. But it must be said that it was precisely such madmen who often moved medicine forward thanks to their unconventional approach and bold decisions.