The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-24
IN THE VEINS
IS GERMAN METHOD
The New German Method Of
Anaesthesia, Device of DR..
Burkhardt, of Wurtzburg.

5000 S'eAN0 &SHA ,1
been discovered, or invented, for the
first time, and publicly announced
within the past few weeks. This may
seem an eNtravagant statement. but
it is in fact accurate. For after more
h 90 years use of ether and chlorO-
form as anaesthetics in all sorts OF
surgical operations. the first real inn
provement in the method of using these
drugs has been devised and just an
nounced by a German physician, Pro-
fessor DIR. Ludwig Burkhardt, Of the
surgical clinic Of Wurtzburg, in Ba-
varia. The multitude OF persons who
have undergone other anaesthesia for
the removal of their appendices. or for
other useful purposes, know we'll that
there Is an experience called getting
over the ether" and that it is usually
an uncomfortable experience. There
Is always nausea, and commonly vOm-
iting, the latter being often violent and
distressing, besides being bad for GER
tain surgical wounds Sometimes
ether is followed by trouble with the
lungs that is called ether ~pneumonia,'
and there are occasional exciting ex-
periences, with sensitive patients, in
the direction of failure of heart &C.
ton or OF respiration. In short, ether,
while almost infinitely safer than any
other anaesthetic known, has what the
doctors call side effects" in addition
to its main effect of producing un-
Consciousness to pain. n these side.
effects" are to some degree both pain
full and dangerous. DR.. Burkhardt's
new method. while it's effects have,
neen recorded in only SO human pa
tients, Is so obviously sound in theory
that we must rather confidently ex-
pect 1t to prove under prolonged tests
the very important advance which it
already appear to be. Now that the,
way has been found, one wonders that
the simple, safe and accurate device
or injecting a solution OF ether into
the veins was not discovered or in
vented long age by a hundred men.
problem by attacking 1t on the obvious
side-obvious now, but strangely over
looked hitherto. Ether inhaled could,
get to the brain centers only by being
carried there in the blood. If ether
could be put into the blood it ought
put directly into the blood. by being
injected into a vein, it couldn't irri-
ate the lungs, as inhaled vapor does.
Also, 1t couldn't inflame the stomach.
and the stomach wouldn't rebel and
insist on enptying itself. Further.
all causes OF pneumonia would be re-
moved except those due to inhaled
saliva; and this chance would be great
ly lessened because breathing would
not be disturbed by the irritation Of
NPOA oAAo tllG llOM I'll saliva WOulO
not be stimulated by the effect of the
vapor on the membranes of the mouth.
DIR. Burkhardt tried out his theory
on animals, using a normal salt So
luton that is, salt water OF the same,
saltiness as the blood, as a vehicle for
ether or chloroform. Ether put nto
a vein full strength would probably
clot the blood. and If the clot so formed
were carried to the heart or brain.
.he most serious consequences might,
lilo Ir lrH II n vi -,A $500
ured amount of the drug into a meas
ured amount of salt solution, and then
slowly injected the mixture into a
Vein. He got complete a~naesthesia.
and got 1t for the first time in medical
history with a definitely known amount
of ether. The salt-ether or %salt-chlor-
oform solution was administered con-
tlnuously in a slow moving stream to
maintain the anaesthesia. When the
stream was cut off the a~naesthesia inn
medlately ceased. This quick resump-
tlon OF conscience. as it occurred in
the human subjects, seems to show
pretty clearly that the slow regaininp
OF consciousness after anaesthesia by
inhalation of ether is a sign of actual
oVerdoslng IN that procedure. Cats,
dogs and rabbits gave such good re-
suits as to justify using the method on
human beings.
Result on Human Subjects,
1t is the human results that c,inob
IN spite OF their small number, the great
value Of the new procedure. In four
cases, with chloroform. DR.. Burkhardt
USED from 100 to 1900 cubic cent?
iastels ol SAT- solution. Anesthesia
lasted about an hour and a quarter
Breathing and pulse were extraordinar-
lly quiet all through it, and the patients
walked promptly on the Giscontinuation
or the injection. In two of these cases
the kidneys showed some signs Of slipht
irritation. 'ie"s
With ether the results were even
more favorable. Thirty three natients
We're anaesthetized by the infusion of a
SAT- solution with 5 per cent of ether.
zone or the 80, says DIR. Burkhardt.
showed any interference with heart ac-
tion or respiration; and in all but three
.here was an entire absence of III ef-
tects, such as headaches, nausea. vom-
lung or kidney irritation. Anaesthesia
was lnalntalned III some cases, for as
cluded both young and old. Of both
sexes. IN ~ of these cases there we're
no renexes," as the doctors call them
that IS. spasmodic movements, Of which
ehe patient is Of course unconscious.
Such refexes are a nuisance to the on.
Grating surgeon, and sometimes thew
!hterlere TO a dangerous degree with
the operation itself. AS a further test
OF ms new method, DR.. Burkhardt an
aes.netized five patients by using a
aaiuie VI e!hef ana chiOrOfOrm in salt
solution. These showed no i'll after
effects. and We're entirely free from re-
fleSes. The whole series of human
cases, 3S in all, showed no signs Of
clots in the blood vessels, the onlv
source of danger to be feared from the
infusion into the veins. S
Theory Is Sound.
One swallow does not make a sum-
mer," and equally. 3s cases do not
finally establish the merit Of the na"
procedure: But in the case of Dr..
Burkhardt's method, experience with
ether during many years, and with the
infusion of saline solution into the
blood, offers little or no ground for nm
favorable criticism. There is nothinr
obviously wrong or unsafe in his meth
od; while it seems to avoid altogether
some of the main sources of mischief
with ether Inhalation. The use Of
saline irrigation of the rectum has all
ready been tried as a n,aan