The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-11
The New AnaeSthetic.

iss1e Of Harpcr's Weekly, reviews the
progress made by DR.. Jonnesco' o.
Euna-Pest, in the Development o.
spinal anaethesia, saying tIat WINE
DIR. does not clalm 10 nave
been the originator of the process, ne
regards himself as having perfected
the details. 1t is not disputed Una
spinal an~aesthesia was first orouShl
to notice in 1885 by DR.. j. Leonard
Corning. an American physician, VINO
made the suggestion that this method
could be utilized in place Of general
anaesthesia~ But DR.. Morris says TINS
suggestion attracted little attention
till fourteen years later, when Dr.
Corning published his book on ram.
DR.. Corning. as q student Il neurolo-
gist was not interested greatly IN me
application of the method. and TINS
! probably is the reason why his DIS
covery lay do mant 50 Ions.
Some ten years ~ lr. Dudley rant,
Of San Francisco, experimental with
high injection of cocaine in the
! spinal canal, and, for q time the at
tention of the medical world was en-
listed, but, as if by tacit consent, the
idea was thereafter given UP by sur
geOnS. There were two reasons con
tributory to this abandonment: Sur
geons knew that occasionally patients
were found remarkably susceptible to
the influence OF cocaine or allied drugs
in which the toxic effect was likely
TO be disastrous. No One could tell
in advance what the developments
were likely to be. n inasmuch as
cocaine was known to furnish sur
prises, there was fear that some of the
other allied substances might show
a like quality. Still again, there was
fear that the remote results from
spinal anaeStheSia might cause un-
necessary trouble for patients, and as
a surgeon will not stand surprises
much better than an Indian. it was
vitality necessary to make sure thai
these contingencies would not arise
SO the surgeons preferred the ole
methods of procedure.
Meanwhile. methods Of inducing
general anaesthesia by means of nit
rous oxide, ethe and chioroform have
reached a high stage OF perfection
and are slow to subject pa.
tients to any method not equally eff.
lcaciouS, and It therefore remains fol
some responsible man or group Of men
In whom the surgeons have conf
dence, to prove beyond all controversy
that the new method Of producing
anaesthesia Is equal to the perfected
old methods. Now, DIR. ~Jonnesco. Z
man of unquestionei standing, appear.
ing as an exponent OF the idea o
2 spinal anaeSthesia, and, baCkcd as h
| Is by experiences extending over sever
t hundred cases, finds Nc difficulty il
obtaining an audience, and one IN {
2 receptive mood, DR.. Morris thus illus
trates the situation:
S Our position is simply this: DR.
/ Jonnesco chooses %stovaine instead OF
but he is facing q critical jury of sew
3 efal thousand men who know the re
] sponslbliit!es Of their calling. DR.
I ~Jonnesco chooses StoVaine instead O
, cocaine for his an~aesthetac. because
) IS much less toxic than cocaine, Will
he further ~intensifies its action, ant
. guards at the same time against unto
. ward results by the addition Of minut
, Quantities OF ~Strychnine.
: LIZ. appears to have Yer,
good data bearing out his idea in
practical way 1t is, perhaps. the feel
ing OF many surgeons, that we sha
I make use Of spinal an~aesthesia in Ger
= tam selected groups of cases, and othe
e forms of an~aesthesia In other group
Certain classes Of patients take tn
h common anaeSthetlcs rather badly
u alcoholics. for instance, and dri,
habitues, as well as those with disease,
Of the heart and lungs. It is probabl
that spinal anaesthesia will be NOR
frequently used by American surgeon
IN this group of cases. and that "
Will gradually extend its range a
u last as We feel that we can do
d safely.
y Dr. Morris refers to four cases on
Grated on ct his clinic at the post
y graduate hospital, New York. in on
~ OF which he felt considerable concer
because of heart disease and nervo,,
arrangement but all OF these Daf;ant
were as comfortable on the fououfn
DAY as could possibly be expected. m
= auoience at this clinic was comnosa
largely OF surgeons, and the concor
IS sus or opinion was thai Or. Jonnesc
Iau gwen q satisfactory demonstra
lloh SO far as actual Occurrences went
There were no evidences tb.+ 80
patients had been more snh:ect +
80 SNoch than those rendered uncon
- scloHs by TIE use Of ether or chlorn