LECTURE ON CHLOROFORM
BY SURGEON-MAJOR EDWARD LAWRIE.
DR. LAWRIE, President of the Hyderabad Chloroform Commission, delivered a lecture on
Chloroform in the Grant Medical College, Bombay, on Monday, June 29th, 1891 before a large
assembly of the medical profession. Surgeon-General Pinkerton, who presided, briefly introduced
the lecturer, saying he had much pleasure in introducing Dr. Lawrie, of the Bengal Service, to
them. He had come there that day to tell them about his experiments at Hyderabad. It was un-
necessary for him (the chairman) to say much, as they would have read all that had been said on
the subject, and Dr. Lawrie, he believed, was very anxious to give those who had taken it up a
fair field and no favour. Thoroughly imbued with the results of his observations, he naturally
wished to have the sympathy of all medical men, especially of all medical men in India.
After Dr. Lawrie had given his views, he would be very glad if they discussed any point upon
which they might differ, or which might not be clearly understood.
Dr. Lawrie, who was received with applause, then proceeded with his lecture. He said:
"MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,—Few people who have read the preliminary
report of the Hyderabad Commission are aware of the real liberality and public spirit displayed
by the Nizam's Government in issuing the Commission. His Highness's Government paid
Dr. Lauder Brunton a fee of £1,000. The Government also paid the whole of the expenses of
the Commission, including a complete set of invaluable photographs of the tracings of the
experiments, and entertained the Commission royally during their stay in Hyderabad. In
addition to this, Government defrayed the whole of the expenses connected with the report.
Many people I have conversed with appear to think that it gave me an immense amount of
trouble, and that I had to employ a great deal of persuasion to get the Commission appointed.
Gentlemen, I never spoke to the Nizam but once about the appointment of the Commission.
The Nizam is one of the cleverest men in India, and directly I explained to him what was want-
ed he understood it exactly, and after a short conversation he said he would issue orders for
the Commission. It is needless for me to say anything further regarding the extraordinary
and unprecedented liberality and interest with which the Minister, Sir Asman Jab, and every
member of His Highness's Government, carried those orders into effect.
"In 1855 Mr. Syme published a clinical lecture, in which he said: 'the points that we
consider of the greatest importance in the administration of chloroform are, first, a free admix-
-ture of air with the vapour of the chloroform, to ensure which a soft porous material presenting a
pretty large surface is employed, instead of a small piece of lint or any apparatus held to
the nose. If this is attended to, the more rapidly the chloroform is given the better till the effect
is produced. Then,—and this is a most important point—we are guided as to the effect,
not by the circulation, but entirely by the respiration. You never see anybody here
with his finger on the pulse while chloroform is given. So soon as the breathing be--
comes stertorous, we cease the administration.' The Hyderabad Commission does not pretend
to have done more with regard to chloroform than prove that Syme's principles are right,
and I hope to be able to lay the proof clearly before you this evening. Notwithstanding