The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-10-20
Surgeons CrltIcIsa Injection Of
Cocaine Into tho Spine.
THERE IS DANGER OF POISONING
Or. Golden Of Nav York, Who Reads Paper
Describing His Experiments, Surprised at
The Opposition That DsysIopes.

New York. Oct. co.-considerable dis
cussion was aroused at the last session
of the annual meeting of the New York
State Medical Association, in the Acad-
emy of Medicine yesterday afternoon, by
n paper on THE Injection OF Cocaine
Into the Spine TO Produce Surgical An
eesthesia."
DIR. s. ormond Goldan, OF this city,
read the paper and strongly favored this
new use of the drug. Other physicians
and surgeons present gave conflicting
opinions and declared his views were
optimistic.
DIR. Goldan said he had IL cases In his
practice where the drug had been in
Jected i'm the spinal cord, producing in
sensibiity below the point of applica-
ton. The patients were on the operat-
ing table four hours.
TWO INJECTIONS NECESSARY.
In one case Or. Goldan had made two
injections I'm the patients spine The
first had not produced the desired effect
and the patient had suffered from head
ache. A larger quantity or cocaine had
then been used. with better success.
Dr. Goldan admitted that he had two
ebsolute failures, which he attributed
60 the size OF the needle used. lie was
tnlnuSluslics however, IN praise Ol Nhc
new methods. He said he believed the
discovery would revolutionize surgery.
Prominent physicians and surgeons
pressed forward to answer DIR. Goldan
when the chairman of the meeting an
bounced a general debate on the subject
of the paper.
A RISKY DEVICE.
There is tendency 20 use this risky
fs.,.t hA nlFA nf ffn ftfNSy
q new discovery" declared DR.. Robert
H. NJ. Dawbarn, of this city. often
surgical operation may be performed
equally well by injecting cocaine at the
point OF the disorder, and not In the
| spine.
I'm discussing this matter less than ~
hours ago with prominent neurologist,
he stated that, inasmuch as the spine
Is so susceptible TO adverse. influences,
serious consequences might develop and
various forms OF secondary neurosls APP
| pear perhaps weeks or months after the
use OF cocaine.
IF by any possibility the slightest in
fectIon were carried I'm by the needle
| point as IL passes through the different
layers of the skin. poisoning and disease
might be produced within the spinal
canal and thence rapidly spread to the
brain, with fatal consequences.
ITO apply a drug 10 the central nervous
system, paralyZing for the time being
all sensiblity from the waist down, Is
10 employ an unnecessarily grave meas
ure. IT is like using sledge hammer
TO crush a butterfly.
AGAINST INDISCRIMINATE USE
II propose caution and not the in
discriminate use of this measure which
the present tendency seems TO permit.
The good sense of the profession will
come TO the fore Conservatism seems
especially needed I'm this case"
Physicians have taken an entirely too
optimistic view OF anaesthesla by intra-
spinal cocainizatlon." said DIR. NJ. l..
Maduro, who next obtained the floor.
'There are limitations against its use
which prevents its ever replacing old
methods. Great injury can be done TO
the spinal cord by the cocaine. The poi
sonous effects of the drug are very great.
We must be more conservative and wait
for sufficient experiments TO justify this
method"
The majority of the physicians and
surgeons present seemed TO be OF the
opinion that while the present expert
ments continue all over the world this
use of cocaine will be overdone. IL was
generally agreed that no physician in
the audience would i'm case of a surgi-
cal operation permit this use of cocaine
10 induce local anaesthesit on himself
Or. Goldan was surprised by the oppo-
sition TO his paper. He said later that
he was investigating as carefully as