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
Dr. Dunsmure expressed the opinion that four or five minutes elapsed
from the time the chloroform was left off before the pulse failed. But
it is pretty certain that he has much over-estimated the time. Indeed,
if the shaving of the perineum were likely to occupy even half of this
time, the operator would have done it, or had it done, before the
chloroform was administered. Dr. Dunsmure makes the following remark in
his comments on the case: “In several instances where I have seen
chloroform very nearly prove fatal, the respiration became gradually
restored after an inspiration had once been made; in this case, however,
no such fortunate occurrence took place.” In the other cases to which
allusion is here made, the heart has not been paralysed, or at least not
completely, but they show that the method of administering chloroform in
Edinburgh had been far from satisfactory in its results, although no
patient had before that time been actually lost.[102]
_Case 33_ occurred in University College Hospital, London, and the
following account of it was given by Dr. Hillier:
“E. R., aged 40, a woman of moderate height, rather thin. The general
health has been pretty good; she had not been liable to palpitation or
dyspnœa. Had been in the habit of drinking pretty freely. Admitted on
October 5th, at 11 p.m. She was suffering from the symptoms of
strangulated hernia, which had existed two days and a half. Efforts were
made to reduce the hernia, both without and with a warm bath, in which
she was for upwards of half an hour without getting very faint. These
efforts being unsuccessful, an operation was at once determined on. Her
pulse was at this time regular, and of tolerable strength.
“Chloroform was administered in the usual way, on a piece of lint, which
was held three or four inches from the patient’s face, and then brought
to within an inch and a half of her nose and mouth, leaving space around
for the admission of air.
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