Old people are, unless very feeble, best anæsthetised by a mixture of chloroform and ether. Whatever anæsthetic be chosen, the utmost care must be taken to avoid cyanosis. A cylinder of oxygen should be at hand from which to enrich the atmosphere breathed, by trickling the gas into the mouth through a rubber tube, and is a great safeguard in dealing with the old. Sex. On the average, women take anæsthetics much better than men, being far less liable to jaw clenching and other forms of mechanical asphyxia, and showing less excitement during the induction stage. In the female subject induction by open-ether requires very little assistance from C.E. mixture. Physical Type and Temperament, and Habits of Life. Heavily built muscular men are troublesome subjects. Induction requires a rather strong vapour of ether: if the open method is used, there may be to the beginner much temptation to make use during the induction stage of C.E. mixture to an extent not contemplated in the description given of that method in chapter IX.: it is therefore wise to induce either with closed-ether or with C.E. mixture as described in chapter XV., and to change to the perhalation method only when full anæsthesia is attained. As regards alcoholics and excessive smokers, these are well dealt with by the C.E. open-ether sequence. Recourse may be made to the Ormsby inhaler as already explained on page 137. The reader is warned not to be deceived by the stout, rosy face of the typical alcoholic. He often looks a great deal stronger than he really is. Many such are really feeble subjects: although they shout and struggle no great addition to the usual vapour strength of anæsthetic is safe or required: what _is_ required, is a little extra time. Once fully under, the robust appearance of the patient disappears, and the fact that one is dealing with a rather broken constitution and a poor circulation is obvious. Reference has already been made to the fact that persons with defective nervous systems, neurotics, and especially epileptics, show persistence of some muscular movements for some time, and therefore require very careful watching. Special Operations and Pathological Conditions in the Patient. These are of the utmost importance, but to consider each fully from the anæsthetic point of view, would lead us into great detail. The anæsthetist must acquaint himself with any abnormality present, and consider it carefully in the light of the general principles already explained. The following very brief hints for selected cases and operations may, however, be found useful. UPPER AIR PASSAGES. _Artificial teeth._ Must be removed before inducing. _Tongue and jaw cases._--Intratracheal ether the best--failing that, rectal oil ether, or Junker’s inhaler.