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
Many writers have supposed that the deaths from chloroform have arisen
from some peculiarity in the patient; and when any notable change of
structure has been met with after death in any of the vital organs, this
has been thought to afford a sufficient explanation of the event; whilst
in the cases in which the organs were in a healthy state, surprise has
been expressed at the occurrence. In looking over the account of the
cases in which the inhalation of chloroform has been fatal, there is
reason to conclude, however, that the subjects of them were, as regards
health and strength, quite equal to the average of the multitude who
have inhaled this agent without ill effects. In fifteen out of the fifty
cases above related, there was no examination of the body after death.
In one of these fifteen cases, the patient was in a state of debility,
and had hectic fever, apparently from the disease of the ankle-joint,
for he had no cough; in another of these cases, the patient was reduced
to a state of great debility from cancerous disease of the uterus. In
fourteen out of the thirty-five cases, in which an examination of the
dead body took place, all the chief organs were found to be healthy, if
we except the local congestions of blood connected with the mode of
dying, and a flabby state of the heart in a few of the cases, which
probably depended on its being full of blood at the time of death, or
its not being in a state of post-mortem rigidity, at the time it was
examined.
In one case, No. 25, the only morbid appearances were adhesions of the
pleura of small extent; and in No. 47, the only disease was fatty liver.
In Case 17, there were signs of chronic disease of the membranes of the
brain; and in two cases, Nos. 16 and 22, there was emphysema of the
lungs. In the remaining sixteen cases, there was some alteration of the
heart, accompanied in a few instances by disease of other organs. In
Cases 23 and 32, there was fat on the surface of the heart, but the
structure was not degenerated. In Case 43, the right ventricle was
thinned, but not fatty. In Case 44, there were slight deposits on the
mitral valve, the heart being otherwise healthy. In Case 50, there were
deposits of lymph on the mitral valve and also on the surface of the
heart, which was somewhat enlarged. In Case 8, the heart is merely
stated to be large; and in Case 27, hypertrophied. In Case 3, the heart
was enlarged, pale, and soft, and the lungs were tuberculous. In Case
15, there was said to be some amount of disease of the aortic valves,
and some amount of fatty degeneration of the heart. In Case 37,
incipient fatty degeneration was present; and in Case 40, that of a
youth of eighteen, the heart was slightly enlarged, with some amount of
fatty degeneration. In Case 46, the right ventricle was thinned and
slightly fatty. There remain three Cases, Nos. 30, 33, and 42, in which
the fatty degeneration was more decided; and one case, No. 41, in which
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account