Air, when saturated only at 60° Fah., contains 12 per cent. of vapour of chloroform, and at 70° 19 per cent. (p. 33); and 8 or 10 per cent. in the inspired air is capable, as we have seen, of causing sudden death by paralysing the heart; but in practice the air is usually far from being saturated, in passing over a handkerchief or similar material, even at the temperature at which it is inhaled; and this is generally lowered considerably by the absorption of caloric by the chloroform, as it changes its condition from a liquid to a vapour. Moreover, air strongly charged with vapour of chloroform is not easy to breathe, owing to its pungency; and the physiological knowledge and close attention of every medical man who administers this medicine causes him to withdraw it immediately on the least appearance of danger. _Case 1._ The first death from chloroform was that of Hannah Greener, which occurred at Winlaton, near Newcastle, on the 28th of January, 1848. The patient was a girl of 15, who required to have the nail of the great toe removed. A similar operation had been performed on the other foot, in the previous November, in the Newcastle Infirmary, when ether was administered with a satisfactory result. The following is the account of the accident by Dr. Meggison, who administered the chloroform: “She appeared to dread the operation, and fretted a good deal: in fact, she commenced sobbing on our entering the house, and continued so until seated in the operating chair, and commencing the inhalation, which was done from a handkerchief on which a teaspoonful of chloroform had been poured. After drawing her breath twice, she pulled my hand from her mouth. I told her to put her hands on her knees, and breathe quietly, which she did. In about half a minute, seeing no change in breathing, or alteration of pulse, I lifted her arm, which I found rigid. I looked at the pupil and pinched her cheek, and, finding her insensible, requested Mr. Lloyd to begin the operation. At the termination of the semilunar incision she gave a kick or twitch, which caused me to think the chloroform had not sufficient effect. I was proceeding to apply more to the handkerchief, when her lips, which had been previously of a good colour, became suddenly blanched, and she spluttered at the mouth, as if in epilepsy. I threw down the handkerchief, dashed cold water in her face, and gave her some internally, followed by brandy, without, however, the least effect, not the slightest attempt at a rally being made. We laid her on the floor, opened a vein in her arm, and the jugular vein, but no blood flowed. The whole process of inhalation, operation, venesection, and death, could not, I should say, have occupied more than two minutes.”[65]