On chloroform and other anæsthetics: their action and administrationSnow, John
History
On chloroform and other anæsthetics: their action and administration
Snow, John
Anesthetics; Chloroform; Snow, John, 1813-1858
The following case will show that chloroform may be inhaled with
advantage in cases which at first seem very unfavourable. I received a
note in 1849 from a medical man in the country, in which he says:—“I
have now a young lady under my charge, from whom I am about to remove a
tumour attached to the ear. She is anxious to take chloroform, and by
the desire of herself and mother, I yesterday administered it by way of
trial, but only to what would be termed the second, and perhaps you
would say, the first degree. She lost some sensation, but was quite
conscious, and spoke. She felt giddy; there was tumultuous beating of
the heart, and a much accelerated pulse, with a dilated pupil; a perfect
coldness over the whole skin, with an equally cold perspiration; and,
during recovery from this slight effect, severe tremors of the whole
body, so much so as to shake the couch on which she was lying. From this
state she did not recover for nearly an hour. She complained of great
giddiness and oppression at her chest. She is a healthy-looking, florid
girl, but not strong, and has had, from time to time, severe spasm
affecting her chest, so much so as to take away her breath. I have thus
endeavoured to give you an outline of the constitution of my patient,
how she had suffered, and what were the effects of the small dose of
chloroform given by an inhaler. I never witnessed such extreme cold,
tremor, or such tumultuous action of the heart; and am therefore anxious
for the opinion of one who has administered chloroform under a greater
variety of circumstances than myself, and to learn whether the symptoms
I have described are sufficient to deter one from giving a sufficient
dose to cause entire suspension of consciousness. My own impression is
that they are sufficient to deter, but the patient and her friends being
both anxious it should be inhaled if possible, I shall only be too glad
to hear that you have witnessed like symptoms, and that you do not
consider them sufficient indications of danger to deter me from its
careful administration in the case.”
I advised that the chloroform should be administered again, and
continued steadily till the patient should become insensible; expressing
my belief that the unpleasant symptoms would subside as unconsciousness
was induced. I received a reply to the effect that the operation had
been performed very successfully under the influence of chloroform,
although the vapour had an exciting effect for some time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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