The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-04-12
Ether and ChlorOfOrm.

The death of Col. Elliott F. Shepard
from the results Of the administering o
ether as an an@sthetic preparatory to 81
operation for suspected calculus has beer
q most absorbing topic of conversation
Especially among physicians it has beer
discussed with the greatest interest.
The case is considered to be very re-
markable one. The use of ether as 81
an@sthetic is very common and a fata
result from its administration is YER,
rare. The death of Col. Shepard ii
bound to ytit up the rnooted question al
To the relative value and safety of ethe
and chloroform, in the use of which th'
practice of physicians differs widely here
and in Europe.
While physicians talk very freely
among themselves in reference to th'
case, they are all extremely guarded ii
saying anything for publication. A very
general expression of regret has beer
heard among the profession for the bae
luck which has seemed to follow DR.
McBurney the last few months.
One physician, who declined to permit
his name to be used, spoke of the Curl
GUS but we'll known fact that physician
sometimes strikes such run of ill-lucl
in his practice as to unnerve him for the
time being; but the speaker made haste
to disavow any direct reference to DR.
McBurney.
1t was DR.. McBurney who performed
the unsuccessful operation of laparotomy
upon the late Senator Hagen.
The physician who is quoted above
said that he had thought so much about
the case and been so struck with the ides
that an unusual accident might just as
we'll befall himself as anybody else thai
he had scarcely been able to nerve him
self sufficiently to perform an operation
yesterday afternoon. The very fact thai
aScertsin practice may be good and safe
upon thousand patients, and prove fa-
tai upon the one thousand and first
makes the calamity all the more trying
to the nerves when it comes.
DR.. William K. Otis, of West 50th
street, was asked yesterday to make SOME
statement Of his views upon the relative
merits ofether and chloroform. DR. Otis
demurred lest his words might be mis-
construed as a criticism or discussion oi
the practice of DR.. McBurney, whom be
called a most competent and experienced
surgeon, and one especially skilled in the
use of ether, which he had administered
successfully for years. Regarding the
general question of the use of ether and
chloroform, however, DR.: Otis said:
"Ether is very generally used in sur
geons' practice in New York and
throughout New England, while in the
South and West and in England, France
and Germany physicians prefer to use
chloroform. My own preference Is fol
chloroform, since it seems to me to be
dangerous in an even less proportion oi
cases than ether. Ether is a strong stim.
ulant of the hearts action, while chloro.
form is a depresant of cardiac impulse.
Where there exists any affection of the
kidneys special care is necessary in the
administering of an anesthetics for the
conditions of the organs resul 8g from
any kidney disease make Cd roform
dangerous.
$50 far as 1 can gather info& &ation
from heresay or from what hs been
printed about the case of Col. Shepard, ii
seems probable to me that he was suffer-
ing from some organic affection of the
kidneys and that the effect Of admins.
tering any ane,thetic to him would have
been to precipitate danger. Itwould ap.
pear that the ether given to him quick
ened his hearts action 80 much as tc
cause sufasion of the lungs with the
watery matter of the blood and that be
simply was suffocated.
'But the most remarkable feature o.
his case is that if he were to die he die
not die Immediately, without rallying Al
all. It has been called a pretty we'll es
tsblisbed fact that when. ether poisons s
man it poisons him and he dies, anc
there is no saving him. In this case thu
attending surgeons began their work, 81
I understand it, about l o'clock, and The
inhalation of the ether was followed i'm
mediately by alarming symptoms, ye
Col. Shepard did not die until after
O'Clock. This rallying seems to me tc
have been very unusual thing. I d.
not remember ever to have heard of I
similar case. The proportion of deatb
upon the operating table following tb'
use of ether is about one in one thousand
while in private practice it may probabl!
be less.
"As to my personal preference between
the two anesthetics, I think, as sait
before, I would rather administer chic
reform, although I have given ether hun
dreds of times with no bad results
There is a strong sentiment in favor o
ether among physicians in the Eastern
States, especially, perhaps, in Massachu
setts. But the men in Germany, wher'
they have certainly studied all thes
things very deeply, and where the expe
rience to be gained is very great ane
varied, all prefer to use chloroform. Col
Shepard's case is very interesting from
professional standpoint, owing to the va
riety of its special feature. 1 regret e1
tremely, however, that DR.. McBurney
should have have had the misfortune tt
be in attendance where a fatal result fol
lowed the use of ether, for, although "
all know that these cases are act down il