The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-22
A MARVEL IN ANAETHEsIA.
Satisfactory Results IN New Methods
of Cocaine Use
sFrou the Boston Transcript

(From the Boston Trznscript}
new method Of inducing anaestEesia
which has been somewhat extensively ex-
perimented with IN France, but has not, so
far as is known here, been previously en-
pIoyed In America, has Just been tried in
Quebec with most satisfactory results Il
is what is known as Tuher's method. and
promises. Ia It's way. to become quite IS
beneficial TO suffering humanity as was
the discovery of the sleep inducing elects
of chloroform and ether
Cocaine is the agent employed, and the
novelty lies IN the manner OF its admisiis
tration The drug of course has long
been employed to produce local freedom
from pain. but used In the manner de-
scribed by the French savanG Il absolute
iy desdens the sensibIIity OF the entire
body from the thorax downward NRtu-
rally Il the parts above the diaphragm
were affected respiration would cease and
the vital spark would be extinguished-
Even IN France where il origina ted, the
method is not yet classified. not having
passed beyond the experimental stage, and
* Is only being used in cases in wS<ch
chiorofoTm or ether cannos be used either
on account Of some organic affection OF
the lungs or heart or because OF the pa
TENTS refusal 10 take them
The trial made Of the method took place
in the Hotel Dieu Hospital at Quebec, Or.
NJ. ]. Ahern being the operating surgeon,
and several other prominent local sur
geons ard the students Of Laval Medical
Schecl being present
i young man about twenty-four years
OF age was to be operated on for appen-
dicftis but refused TO take chloTofor7n, Sc
letter.
The patient was placed on chair and
bent far forward. Then q syTfngefui of
per cent solution Of cocaine was injected
directly into tie spinal cord. under the
arachnoid membrane the needle being
passed through the space left between the
Iast lumbar yeFtsbra AMI the sserum, on
the left side. Tie right was first tried.
but the needle eaald not pass. as there
was no opening or that side. The symp
toms were as indicated by Tufler- There
was slight priekling CT tickling sensa-
ticn in the skin, and the tacile sensation
alone was preserved, a prick on the thigh
from needle not being felt at all, though
contact with the finger was distinctly dis
tinguished.
In FIVE minutes the operation was begun
and was carried to q satisfactory conclu-
sion. except during the last few minutes,
when the patient felt the pain very slight
". this being due. 1t is thought. TO the
fact that the solution used was three
months old. and, though Theoretically seal
ed may have lest some of its efficacy
The usual accidents are merely slight
yonits and more or less persistent
headaches for few hours after the oper-
alton, in short, nothing worse than ehlor-
ofoTm usually produces, and in this case
the headaches alone were present and
were slight In a few cases a marked
rise in temperature lasting only one day
has been observed. The power OF mus
euIar movement and usually that OF mus
cuIar coordination is preserved, so that
the patient can, for instance, raise aeieg
at will.
Under the influence of this treatment
patients have undergone removal of the
Kidneys and amputation of the legs and
all such major operations without any
suffering whatever. Their eyes are usg-
ally bandaged if they are Of nervous
disposition. II cases where the heart
has been slightly affected an Injection of
caffeine has ARRAYS given the necessary
relief
Out of 500 cases observed by Tufier mona
has resulted fatally, but before coming
into general use the method must under
go much larger trial. Enough. however,
has been said 20 show that the idea is
practical one, and that, while Ii IN
fortunately cannot be applied to the rp-
Per part OF the body, it is By re means
one OF the least Of the beneficial adj
vaaees made by the medical science IN
recent years It is probable that another
opportunity of testing 31 ssetlsod viii
shortly be found here.