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
_Experiment 28._ A young rabbit, rather more than half-grown, was made
insensible by breathing air charged with four per cent. of vapour of
chloroform in a large jar. The trachea was then opened, and a tube was
introduced and tied. The lungs and heart were then exposed, by making an
incision and removing the lower half of the sternum, with the adjoining
part of the cartilages of the ribs on each side. The front of the
pericardium was also cut away, to expose the heart. Whilst these
operations were performed, artificial respiration was kept up by means
of a bladder of air attached to the tube in the trachea. The heart
contracted vigorously and quickly, and the lungs were of a light red
colour. The rabbit was beginning to show signs of returning sensibility,
when the bladder of air was changed for one containing ten per cent. of
vapour of chloroform. The bladder contained 125 cubic inches, and twelve
minims of chloroform were put in before it was filled with the bellows.
Three or four inflations of the lungs only were made, when I perceived
that the heart was beginning to be affected, and I changed the
chloroform for a bladder containing only air. These three or four
inflations of the lungs with chloroform, had the effect of causing the
right cavities of the heart to become distended with blood, and its
pulsations to become much slower. In two or three minutes, however, the
action of the heart was quite reestablished by the artificial
respiration, the pulsations being vigorous and frequent, and the
ventricles being apparently emptied at each contraction. The bladder
charged with ten per cent. of chloroform was again attached, and
artificial respiration was made with it. The right ventricle began
almost immediately to become distended; and, by the time that eight or
ten inflations of the lungs had been made, the contractions of the heart
were very slow and feeble. Artificial respiration with air was resumed,
but without the effect of restoring the action of the heart. The lungs
were observed at the time when the right ventricle was becoming
distended, and it was noticed that their colour was unchanged. They
afterwards became paler, as the artificial respiration was continued
after the ventricle had ceased to empty itself. No contractions of the
diaphragm were observed after the first inflation of the lungs with
chloroform, and the rabbit did not gasp at any time; whilst the cats
were observed to make a few gasping efforts at the time when the heart’s
action was ceasing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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