National Republican., 1877-02-01
DEATH FROM AN.EsTHETICs.
NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 1871
To Lhs Editor Of The NaiionaI Republican;

NEW YORK, Jan. %, 1877.
To the Editor Of The National Republican:
SiR Having been engaged for the past four.
teen years in the use Of an anesthetic, l think
can present some interesting facts on the above
subject. A surgeon will give chloroform thou.
sand times without a fatal result. A dentist
gives 1t hundred times, and patient dies on
his chair Statistics on the subject prove that
there have been more deaths from the effects Of
chloroform in dental chairs than from all other
surgical operations. There must be q rea.
son for this, and what is IT. There are two rea.
sons. First, the dentist has not had the expe.
rence OF the surgeon In administering chloroform.
The surgeon gives enough to allay all nervous
sensblity, and with careful manipulation the
patient Is safe. Second, the dentist hav.
ing but brief operation to perform,
administers but a small dose; only enough
TO increase the already existing nervous
excitement; 1t is we'll known that the nrst
effects OF chlor0f0rm or ether are to exhlarate or
excite the nervous senslblity. While in this con.
ditlon the dentist extracts the tooth, and the
chloroform, but from the shock TO the nervous
system, producing paralysis Of the heart. A
lady 10 Albany. recently; went TO a dentist to
but died in the chair. Death was caused by the
nervous shock. To administer a small quantity
Of chlorofOrn to a delicate and nervous patient,
lust enough TO Increase the nervous excitement
iswoIse than giving none at all. This is a lesson
which dentists have yet to learn, and this Is the
practice than In dental surgery. No ether or
chloroiorm should be given, or enough should be
given to carry the patient to condition of entire
nervous senslbility.
There have been so many fatal mistakes from
the use OF chloroiOrm that the Legislature of
Mnssachusetts has prohibited Its use, not only in
dentistry, but In all surgical operations. The
brooklyn Eagle, In referring to a recent death
where chloroiorm was administered, observes:
Except by laughing gas, dentists cannot wisely
or legitimatcly produce anesthesls That gas Is
mostly harmless and always easy, and simple in
Us work Neither ether nor chloroform should
be taken In dentists onice by anybody without
Warrant Of ply siclan, and his administration
oit." ASIDE from any Interest which have in
the matter, there is sound truth In these state
ments Among all the hundreds OF thousands
who have taken laughing gas, there has not been
one deaf II which could be legitmately ascrIbed to
lts effects. Look atthe difference In the elements
which enter into the composition of these
a particle OF oxygen-that element alone
which supports life. Laughing gas con.
tains the same elements as the common air
only more oxygen. ChlorOform ,iepresses and
partially arrcststhe action of tho heart and lungs
The nervous equilibrium e disturbed, but in one
elevated. When insensIbIlty is produced by
emoioiorn., the pulse Is reduced from seventy to
twenty or twenty-five beats In minute. The
9es Increases the pulse from seventy to eighty.
hNe or ninety In 4 minute. ChlOrOlOrm has q
smotherins sensation, and II takes from ten to
iuenee, and u much larger time to recover from
It's effects. The gas requires but one minute to
produce entire anpst heslS. and In two minutes
more the patient is himself again. There Is ne
reaction or depression following the inhalation Of
the gas, and II can be taken by the most feeble,
delicate and weak without danger. appeal to
every physician in New York for the truth Of
these assertions. q. Y. COTTON.