The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-31
ETHER IN THE VEINS
IS GERMAN METHOD
The New German Method Of
Anaesthesia, Device Of DR..
Burkhardt, Of Wurtzburg.

oeen ulSCOVereOS OF invented, AoI Iu0
first time, and publicly announced
within the past few weeks. This may
seem an extravagant statement, but
1t is In fact accurate. For after more
than 80 years use of ether and chloro-
form as anaesthetics In all sorts Of
surgical operations, the first real i'm
provement in the method Of using these
drugs has been devised and just an
nounced by German physician, Pro-
lessor DR.. 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 well that
there Is an experience called getting
over the ether" anC that II Ii 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 ac-
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. and these side
effects are to some degree both n
full and dangerous. Dr. Burkhardt's
new method, while it's effects have
been recorded in only 38 human pa
ttents, is so obviously sound in theory
that we must rather confidently ex-
pect 1t to prove under prolonged tests
the very important advance which 1t
already appears to be. Now that the
haan daro hot
the simple, safe and accurate device
of injecting a solution Of ether into
| the veins was not discovered or in
| vented long ago by hundred men.
Dr. Burkhardt has tried to solve the
| 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. II ether
could be put into the blood 1t ought
to produce anaesthesia. II 1t were
put directly into the blood, by being
tate the lungs, as inhaled vapor does.
Also, 1t couldn't inflame the stomach,
and the stomach wouldn't rebel and
insist on emptying 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
the vapor, and the flow Of saliva would
not be stimulated by the effect Of the
vapor on the membranes Of the mouth.
DIR. Burkhardt tried out his theory
on animals, using normal salt So
luton" that is, salt water Of the same
saltiness as the blood, as a vehicle for
ether or chloroform. Ether put into
a vein full strength would probably
clot the blood. and II the clot so formed
were carried to the heart or brain,
the most serious consequences might
| follow. DIR. Burkhardt put a meas
! 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 anaesthesia,
and got II for the first time in medical
history with definitely known amount
of ether. The salt-ether or salt-chlor-
oform solution was administered con-
tinuously In a slow moving stream to
| maintain the anaesthesia. When the
stream was cut off the anaesthesia i'm
mediately ceased. This quick resump-
| ton Of conscience. as II occurred in
the human subjects. seems to show
pretty clearly that the slow regaining
Of consciousness after anaesthesia by
inhalation Of ether is a sign of actual
overdosing 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.
| It is the human results that clinch,
4 In spite Of their small number, the great
value OF the new procedure. In four
used from 100 to 1900 cubic cent?
| meters Of salt solution. Anesthesia
| lasted about an hour and q quarter.
Breathing and pulse were extraordinar-
| lily quiet all through 1t, and the patients
walked promptly on the discrimination
/ hn t,f Tn txS,A DHx
the kidneys showed some signs Of slight
4 irritation.
With ether the results were even
more favorable. Thirty-three patients
were unrestricted by the infusion Of a
salt solution with per cent Of ether.
| None OF the 33, says DR.. Burkhardt,
showed any interference with heart ac-
ton or respiration; and In all but three
there was an entire absence Of Ill ef-
fects, such as headaches, nausea, vom-
iting or kidney irritation. Anaesthesia
was maintained in some cases. for as
long as two hours. and the patients in
| cluded both young and old, Of both
| sexes. In 20 of these cases there were
| no "refiexes," as the doctors call them
| that Is, spasmodic movements, Of which
| the patient is Of course unconscious.
Such ref1exes are nuisance to the op-
Grating surgeon. and sometimes they
| interfere to a dangerous degree with
the operation itself. AS a further test
Of his new method, DR.. Burkhardt an
aesthetized five patients by using a
| mixture of ether and chloroform in salt
solution. These showed no i'll after
effects, and were entirely free from re-
flexes The whole series Of human
| cases, 38 in all, showed no signs of
clots In the blood vessels, the only
source Of danger to be feared from the
infusion into the veins.
Theory Is Sound.
"One swallow does not make a sum-
mer," and equally, 3S cases do not
finally establish the merit of the new
| 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 UNI
favorable criticism. There is nothing
obviously wrong or unsafe in his meth
cd; while ii seems to avoid altogether
| some of the main sources of mischief
| with ether inhalation. The use of
saline irrigation of the rectum has al
| ready been tried as a means of help
ing the body get rid of some of the
inhaled ether, and the new method Is
a much more effective way of flushing
out the overloaded system. Further
experience may develop weak spots in
the scheme, but on the theory and past
practice the new way appears to be
! wholly sound, and an Improvement of
great Importance. 1t will no doubt be
promptly tested by American surgeons.
Earnest students who desire DR.. Burk-
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