“John Shorter, aged forty-eight, a porter, known to Mr. Solly for some time as a very active messenger, habits intemperate, but apparently in perfect health, was admitted into George’s ward, under Mr. Solly, on the 9th October, 1849, suffering from onychia of the left great toe, which had existed some time. It was determined to remove the nail, the man having decided before entering the hospital on taking chloroform. “On Wednesday, October 10th, at a quarter to two P.M., he began to inhale the chloroform with one drachm in the inhaler. It had no visible effect for about two minutes; it then excited him, and the instrument was removed from the mouth, and about ten drops more were added; he then almost immediately became insensible; the chloroform was taken away, and the nail removed. He continued insensible; and, his face becoming dark, the pulse small, quick, but regular, respiration laborious, his neckerchief was removed, and the chest exposed to fresh air from a window near to the bed; cold water was dashed in his face, the chest rubbed, and ammonia applied to the nose. After struggling for about a minute, he became still, the skin cold, pulse scarcely perceptible, and soon ceased to be felt at the wrist; respiration became slow and at intervals, but continued a few seconds after the cessation of the pulse. Immediately on the appearance of these symptoms, artificial respiration was commenced by depressing the ribs with the hands and then allowing them to rise again until the proper apparatus was brought, when respiration was kept up by means of the trachea tube and bellows, and oxygen gas introduced into the lungs by the same means. Galvanism was also applied through the heart and diaphragm, but all signs of life ceased about six or seven minutes after the commencement of inhalation. These means were persisted in until a quarter past three, but to no purpose. On removing the inhaler, the sponge, which only contains one drachm, fell upon the floor, and the chloroform splashed about,—thus showing that a considerable part of the chloroform remained unused; so that the patient could not have inhaled more than a drachm. Every endeavour was made to procure a post-mortem examination, but in vain.”[82]