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
In arranging the bibulous paper in the inhaler, it is my object to
contrive that the air passing through, in the ordinary process of
inhalation, and at the ordinary temperature of about 60°, shall take up
about five per cent. of vapour. This quantity can be diminished, as much
as is desired, by turning the expiratory valve of the face-piece a
little to one side; and in winter I usually place a short coil of
bibulous paper against the outer circumference of the inside of the
inhaler, in addition to the central coils which are delineated.
I commonly put two, or two and a half, fluid drachms of chloroform into
the inhaler at first. About a drachm of this is absorbed by the
filtering paper, and the rest remains at the bottom of the inhaler; and
in a protracted operation, when it is seen, by means of the glass tube,
that the latter part of the chloroform has disappeared, more is added,
by a drachm or so at a time, to prevent the paper ever becoming dry. Mr.
Matthews, 8, Portugal Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, makes the inhaler.
There are smaller face-pieces for children. The patient never inhales in
so upright a posture as the artist has represented.
There are several other kinds of apparatus in use for the inhalation of
chloroform. The most usual consist of Dr. Sibson’s face-piece more or
less altered, and with a small piece of sponge placed inside. The
apparatus which is in most reputation on the continent is that of M.
Charrière; it consists of a glass vase with suitable valves, and a
fabric for exposing a surface wetted with chloroform to the air which
passes through it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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