By Moises Menendez, MD, FACS

Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

Michael Faraday was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis.

Although Faraday received little formal education, he was one of the most influential scientists in history. It was by his research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current that Faraday established the basis for the concept of the electromagnetic field in physics.

Faraday also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between the two phenomena. He similarly discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction and diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation for electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology. Without this technology, it would have been impossible for the advancement of the electric motor that we know today.

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Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
2019
Gray toned paper, 15x20, charcoal pencils and white chalk.
Artist: Moises Menendez, MD, FACS

Faraday’s contribution to the introduction of general anesthesia was his published announcement in 1818, that inhalation of the vapor of ether produced the same effects on mentation and consciousness as the breathing of nitrous oxide. He most likely became familiar with the central nervous system effects of nitrous oxide through his association with Davy, an avid user of the gas. Sulfuric ether was a common, convenient, cheap and easily available substance, in contrast to nitrous oxide, which required an expensive, cumbersome and probably not widely available apparatus for its production and administration.

A Faraday cage, sometimes known as a Faraday shield, is an enclosure that is used to shield objects from electromagnetic fields (both static and nonstatic). Regarding this discovery, the entire operating room that we are accustomed to is considered a Faraday cage: There is a network of wires in the walls and doors to ensure that electrical charges from outside, such as a lightning strike, cannot enter the room and disrupt an operation. In 1847, William Morton rediscovered anesthesia by using ether and a special device to deliver the gas adequately.

Sources

  • Ohry A. Michael Faraday, science, medicine, literature and his disability. Prog Health Sci. 2011;1(2).
  • Marcet J. La mujer que hizo que el influyente cientifico Michael Faraday se enamorara de la ciencia. Serie “Science Stories.” British Broadcasting Corp. January 14, 2018.
  • Van de Laar A. Under the Knife. A History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations. Saint Martin’s Press; 2018:296.

Dr. Menendez is a general surgeon and self-taught portrait artist in Magnolia, Ark. Since 2012, he has completed a series of portraits of historical figures, particularly well-known physicians and surgeons.

This article is from the June 2021 print issue.