The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-20 00:00:00

'ATAL EFFECTS OF ETHER.

A case of considerable importance, as affecting the
practice lately introduced into the medical world of
subjecting persons about to be operated upon to the
influence of ether, by causing them to inhale its
vapour in order to render them insensible to pain, has
just, occurred at Spittlegate, in the county of Lincoln,
in which death has resulted from that mode of treat-
ment. It appears that a respectable woman of the
name of Ann Parkinson, aged twenty-one years, the
wite of a hair•dresser at Spittlegate, who had been
married eighteen months, and had a child nine months
I old, had been afflicted with a tumour on the under part
of her left thigh for about twelve months, which had
gradually increased in Sin until, from its situation,
it became a perpetual torment to her, as she was
unable either to sic down or lie in bed with any
degree of comfort. Under these circumstances, having
read of the many successful cases of operations per.
formed without pain under the influence of the vapour
of ether, she expressed a wish to her medical attendant,
Mr. Robbs, of Grantham, to have ether applied,
and the tumour removed. To this, after consult-
ing other medical men, he consented ; and on Tuesday,
the 9th inst., at one o'clock, she was subjected to the
influence of the ether, and the operation was performed
by Mr. ltobbs in the presence of three other medical
men. Unfortunately, however, the poor woman never
rallied, but remained in a state of complete prostration
until five o'clock on Thursday morning, when she died
without the slightest reaction having taken place subse-
quent to the operation.
At the inquest, held on Monday, evidence was given
that the deceased was of an extremely delicate constitu-
tion, and that ether was administered to her several

times previous to the day
,fixed upon for the operation,
in order to try its effects, and she was found to bear it
very well. On the appointed day, Mr. Hobbs (who
acknowledged he bad no faith in the ether part of the
affair) performed the operation, in the presence of seve-
ral medical man. For about ten minutes Mrs. Parkin-
son was reduced to a state of unconsciousness, when
the operation of removing the tumour commenced, and
she appeared to feel the first cut, as she made a deep
moan, whereupon ether was again applied. The ope-
ration proceeded during the time the vapour was in-
haling the second time. Mrs. Parkinson was laid upon
her stomach upon a table, and upon every incision made
during the operation she moaned, and appeared to feel
it ; but, she did not appear to feel anything when the
different vessels were being tied up. When she was
taken from the table and laid on the bed, she bad a little
brandy and water before the operation was over, which
she swallowed readily, and a little more when she was
put to bed. She did not appear to lose much blood, and
the wound was dressed after the operation and ban-
daged, and when put to bed she appeared to be conscious.
She did not appear to rally at all from that time. On
the following day she remained in the same low state,
and Mr. Hobbs saw her more than once, and sent her
medicine, which was administered, and a little thin gruel
and tea was given her by his directions, which was all
the nourishment she took On Wednesday she com-
plained of a numbness in both legs and the lower part
of her back, and hot bottles were applied by Mr. Hobbs'
directions, but she was not relieved. On the Thursday
morning, about twenty minutes past five o'clock, she
died without uttering a groan. From the time the
operation was performed till her death she never moved
by her own power.
At the conclusion of the evidence, the CORONER, having
duly cautioned Mr. Hobbs, requested to know whether
he was desiroib of m,king any statement relative to the
case? Upon which that gentleman described the man-
ner in which the vapour had been inhaled, and stated
n cl übdeing
ing the
occupiedtying
the inhale ion and the necessary bandaging, &c. He
nt that attbteh
vessels,
eos operation titremai n lasted 2
re(sler minutes,
of the
also stated that he believed the deceased felt as much
pain as if she had not inhaled the vapour, as she cried
out and straggled at each cut. He then proceeded to
read accounts of the numerous operations which had been
performed by the most eminent surgeons in the publio
hospitals and other places where the ether had been
used with success, and stated that nothing had bean
done in this case but what bad been fully warranted by
the practice of the leaders of the profession. He also
stated that he had attempted to produce reaction 'oy
the exhibition of ammonia and other applications with-
out success.
The CORONER then summed up, and the jury, having
deliberated a short time, pronounced a verdict, " That
the deceased Ann Parkinson died from the effects of the
vapour of ether, inhaled by her for the purpose of alle-
viating pain during the removal of a tumour from her
left thigh, and not from the effect of the operation, or
from any
the conclusionoth er au f
the case Mr. Hobbs stated that
e
he fully concurred in the verdict, as he had no doubt
whatever that the ether alone was the cause of death,
and it was a duty he owed to the public to say so.
The verdict was then signed, and thenated. inquiry termi-
nated.

----------------_—_ —___
ALGERIA.—The 111oniteur Ali erien publishes the
following statistic of the European population of the
French possessions in Algeria at the end of the last year :.---,
The total of the populution in the provinces on the coast is
107,168 souls, of whom 47,274 are French ; 31,528 Spaniards;
9,440 Anglo-Maltese and English : 8,175
Italians; and 5,386
Germans. Of the 107,168 colonists, 40,575 are men. 25,089 c.
women, and 41,404 children. Of the 40,675 men, thiiisanniubet
greater proportion are in the towns, as not. 0
the year of
In the army there has been an increase during
dwithin the last
tween 4,000 and 5,000 are employed in cultivating the land.
the population,
14,079 souls, of whom 3,858. were added
quarter of the year. Of this proportion of
The total amount of
4.352 under the military authorities.
is
18,925;
on the coast, 102,816 are under !
of whom
lie population in' the innero provincese civil government, and
it
It comprises 10,872 men;
under the military government..hB Idren. The same total, therefore,
4,071 women ;
1 ),589 are Fr,-nch ; 11,0--
ani
3,9 inhabitants of Algeria, at the beginning of
eunder the civil, and 7,903
of the European
~5083,
of whom about 12,000 wily
the present yes*, was !‘;
4 are employed in agriculture.