Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-29
DANGERS OF AN.EsTBETICs.

The death of Mrs. Annie O'Shaughnessy
in dentists chair in New York on the
Goth of March, after having inhaled nitrous
oxide or ''laughing gas" which she had tax.
en- for the purpose Of relieving the pain Of
extracting a number Of teeth, has very ma
turally turned attention afresh to this dan.
gerous an9sthetic. The lady appeared to
be about forty years Of age, aud strong and
healthy. The dentist, DR.. j. B. New
brough, says the gas iuhaled by the de-
chased was genuine; that he manufactures
it himself, and has it fresh every day. Mrs.
O'Shaughnessy tainted after the seventh
tooth had been pulled, and died
in about twenty minutes afterwards,
all efforts to restore her to con-
sciousness having failed. Deputy
Coroner Beach, who made an autopsy of
the body the day succeeding her death,
found no organic disease, and came to the
conclusion that death resulted from cOnges-
ton of the lungs, superinduced by the an@s-
thetic agent and the nervous condition of
the deceased. The New York Tribune
states that few months ago another lady
died in dentists chair in Brooklyn while
under the anasthetic influence. The oper-
ator first administered laughing gas, but it
did not have the desired effect, and next
day be administered chloroform, under
the influence of which she died. At the
post-mortem examination all the organs
were found perfectly healthy, and the ex-
aiming physician gave his opinion that
death was caused by nervous shock or para
l. sis Of the heart from the effects of the in
halatiOn of a moderate dose of chloroform.
The Coroner's jury rendered a verdict to
the same effect, and said in the verdict that
eve would urge the disuse of chloroform
except in the most severe cases which might
require the agency of so powerful an
aGesthetic." The Tribune collates from
medical journals a number of cases in
which the administration of anasthetical
agents has been attended with fatal results,
as follows:
"Dr. Dawson of Cincinnati has given in
the Cincinnati Lancet Dan. 1871 list of
twelve cases of death from the use Of
chloroform. We have it on the authority
of DR.. Conner of Philadelphia, that there
are at least eight cases on record at the
office Of the SurgeOn-GeneraP of deaths by
in army practice. DR.. Briggs
of Nashville, reports in the Nashville Jour
nal Of Medicine (Feb. 1919 fatal case
which fell under his observation. DR..
Bancroft Of Denver, had a fatal case on the
Sd of last March. The operation was a
slight one, and less than half an ounce of
was used, but the patient died
uader it. In Cincinnati, in October last
there occurred a fatal case. The Philadel-
phia Medical and Surgical Reporter
March, 1919 reports fatal case in Michi-
gan, under DR.. Porter. In this case the |
lady took chlorOfOrm for dental operation |
which was performed, and she drove away, |
but expired after reaching her house.
'In the British medical journals Of last |
year may be noticed the record Of several |
cases of death under anBsthetics. The
London Lancet (Jan. %, 1870 reports a |
hospital case where a slight operation was
performed on a male patient, and but one |
dram and half of chloroform was used, |
yet the man died under it. The Lancet |
(Dec. p, 1870 contains report of another |
fatal case. The British Medical Journal |
March %, l871) reports fatal case where |
three and half drains of chloroform were |
used, and the alleged cause of death was |
of the heart. The same journal |
april p, 1S7l) reports two other fatal |
cases, in one of which dram and half of |
ChlOrOfOrm was used, but the amount con- |
sumed in the other case is not mentioned. |
Sir James Simpson himself, the great |
Scotch surgeon, who had SO much to do 1
with the Introduction Of anRsthetics in sur |
giCal operations, had a case of death under /
bis own bands about two years ago, or |
shortly before his decease. The patient /
was woman p years old, and the chloro- |
form was administered by the hands of Sir
James himself.
An able medical writer, adds the Tribune,
n lece Dtly discussing the increasing NOR
atty from chlOroform, said that the rate
vas greater with this than with any other
but he added that every anes-
hetic thus far discovered has had its vic
ms. This writer argued that it was time
or the medical profession to take into con-
Iteration, with as much accuracy as posi-
lie, two very important questions.
l. What conditions of the system
cquired or hereditary-and what peculi arr
les of constitution, forbid the administra-
ion of the agent
2. BY what mode, if any, can this or any
Their anGsthetic, be safely administered
Il rr,o,,ld appaar from collactad facts fI,af |