The Express.
London, England, 1857-08-22 00:00:00

A CHLOROFORM COMMISSION.

Following closely on the elaborate but fruitleaa
discussion by the Academie de Mick-eine me to the use of an
apparatus in administering anamaties, M. Ileurteloup has
read a paper on the subject before the French Academy of
fiance. This nee prefatory to introducing • ountrimenee
of la own for employment during inhalation. Its'
prnMpal points were, that the vapour, bring pumped
by a bellows from a reservoir containing chbrufuna,
omega through a very small aperture, the strength
of the vapour inhaled tom g regulated by the distance at
whirl this aperture is held from the merits The apparatus
Is 'WON but, like mat other contrivance* of the same kind,
Mainproms • pedel patient educated to its me, not nervous,
frifibtened, inspiring irregularly, jerking the heed at every
tat(, and breathing in every way except that moat desired by
the operator. Unfortunately, aniesthetics ore seldom eta-
played without one or more of them drawbacks occurring;
nor can this be marvelled at when we consider the hopes
and double and foam" to be resolved in a few minutes for the
patient's weal or woe,
It is in this country that the moot laborious investigations
m to the action end use of aniestheties have been made ; and
nothing MOTS peculiarly marks the advanced intellectual
character of the present generation than the rapidity with
which • knowledge of their elkite ham been attained by the
pablie. There is scarcely • poor hospital outpatient who
does not throw out • broad blot for chlur-e-torm on the
smallest suspicion of the slighteet operation. Equally rapid
he the spread of any reports of untoward accidents occurring
during it. administration; and the two unfortunate cases of
death which happened Met week in metropolitan homitals
have formed the ;steeple subjects of those feeble queationings
which medical men have continually to endure from non-
prifeesional gentle—people so prone to rush to conclusions,
and whine conclusions are so seldom worth a rush.
Without commenting on the recent untoward cases, or in-
tending any direct allusion to there, it emus to us that it is
full time the representatives of the profession in England
should take stock of our knowlege of amenhetics, :eud:wbet
hoe been learnt from the preMlW experience uf ten year..
Then • brief report for prolamines! guidance In their Mini-
aistretlon might be drawn . By remmentetiveo, we
mesa those in whom the • has faith—selected
failows of the medical and learned profaners at
Easiest* and Dublin, as well as repreeentalves of the
corporate bodies. A evinenissloa thus conmineted would
find far more important matter to dimess than the
advisability of employing inhalers or responsibility in
cues of secident—eubjects on which the French disputants
split so many straws without • single ear attending. How
far existing distme should influence the employment of oar 4-
thetica ; what operations most micessitate their use ; the
means to be used ; the sii,se of which most note should be
token ; the means to be resorted to in case of accident., and
the warnings of their uccurreeoe. These subjects, with •
careful summary of the recent important guides to judgment
in employing anaesthetics (as far ss our knowledge ham
hitherto gone) would form a report whose value the protei-
ns% would, we believe, highly appreciate. lt would be the
duty of government to forward such • report, drown up by
such authorities, to every member of the profession.—The
Loom!.