The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-09-21
AmHSthetic Agents.

The recent death from frightin dem
lists chair in this city of a woman to
whom nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, had
been partially administered, has called
renewed attention to the dangers that
attend theinhalatiOn of anRsthetics gen.
enerally. It seems to be the opinion Of
the most experienced medical men that
no danger attends the operation if prop
erly conducted.
DR.. Curtis, OF Cincinnati, holds that
many surgeons are too hasty in putting
persons under the anRsthetic influence.
He himself determined to give chtOrO-
form very slowly, and to urge large in
haIatiOns of atmospheric air. AS patients
seem inclined to refuse full inspirations
toaYOidinhaling the chlOrofOrm, he gave
it loosely through silk handkerchief,
and SO slowly that from fifteen to thirty
minutes were required to prepare the
patient for operation, never giving it
fast enough to diminish sensibly the
force or volume of the pulse or to dark
en- the color Of the surface. He never
gave more than was necessary to pre-
vent sensation, pinching the surface to
learn when this was accomplished, and
renewing the inhalation during opera
ton only when he found sensation re-
turning. Soon after the introduction Of
chlOrOfOTm into surgery, a Boston sur
geOn, while operating on patient un-
der its influence, discovered that the
blood flowed very freely; but, as it was
and would not seriously affect the sub
ject. Soon he was alarmed by the sink
ing of hepatient, who was only restored
by strong stimulants and friction. The
operator had given chlOrOfOrm without
the mixture Of quantity of Atmospheric
air sufficient to purify the blood of car
bon; and hence, though he had wounded
an artery, as he discovered blythe irregu-
lar discharge, the blood was purple, in
stead of vermiliOn, as it should have
been. The chlOr0form had been given
too fast, excluding the oxygen of the at
mOsphere, as was evident by the dark
color OF the blood, the reduction of the
force of the circulation, and the purple
hue of the surface generally. This is a
point to which great attention should be
paid in the use of an anRsthetic agent.
The inhalation of chlOrOfOrm is only q
speedy method of making man ''dead
drunk" and DR.. Curtis soon saw that If
| the anRsthetic state were brought on
gradually, as intOxicatiOn generally is,
and stopped as soon as sense and mus
| cular motion are by taking alcoholic IL
quOrs, it produced no worse effect upon
the system. In both cases the patient
often vOmits, both when taking the mar
cotic and when getting off of it; and in
both, insensibility to the severest opera
tiOns may reproduced. By taking proper
care in regard to these things, DR.. Curtis
says that operations may safely be per-
formed on very small children and very
old persons, on those whose lungs or
hearts are diseased, or who are reduced
by chronic ailments of various kinds.
A singular effect which chloroform has
upon some persons is its dulling the
brain and destroying the intellectual
faculties for months after it has been
restored. One gentleman of active mind
a ready thinker and fluent writer, might
be named who has been under the infiu-
ence of chlOroform three or four times
for surgical purposes, and after each
time his intellect has been torpid fol-
months, though his suFgicalreeOyeTy was
rapid Scientific American.