Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-19
TO BENEFIT PATIENT
Administration of Anesthetic
Undergoing Change.
DANGER BEING REMOVED
Investigators Making Effort to .Abol-
ish All Risk.
STORIES OF LORD KITCHENER
Famous English Military Man AL
ways Has Tart Reply for Those
Who Address Him.
STORIES OF LORD KITCHENER
BY w. Hamilton Rhodes.
respondence Of The Star.

or modern surgery has resulted in a cor
responding growth in the work of those
whose special duty 1t is to abolish pain
curing operations. so much SO that every
large hospital nowadays finds it necessary
to have not only staff of expert anesthet-
lists who visit it daily. but one or more
resident officers specially appointed for a
like purpose OF course, the increasing
attention that Is now given to the care
of the mouth. which demands the removal
of every decayed tooth that cannot be
preserved, is responsible for a considera-
BILE number of the anesthetic administra-
tons which take place at the hospitals
every week: under such circumstances
the comparatively mild anesthetic SUBJ
stance known Familiarity as gas is used,
crease to be noted in the recorded admin
istrations of powerful drugs such as
chloroform and ether
Yet it is well known that the production
of anesthesia by strong compounds Is
still attended with some danger, the prog
ress of the anesthetist's art not having
so far achieved the ideal of absolute
safety. True it is at the present time
that for every unfortunate fatality that
occurs many thousands of successful
cases are recorded. and that even of the
accidents a considerable proportion
have been due much to the feeble condi-
ton of the patient or the shock of the
operation as to the drug used. Still, there
is just sufficient margin of uncertainty
to make people anxious about taking an
anesthetic, and so at times preventing
them from receiving the benefits Of mod
ern operative skill even when urgently
needed. and it is this margin which a
band of keen investigators is endeavoring
to abolish.
Runs Little Risk.
In the absence of serious constitutional
disease there is probably less danger for
the average individual who takes an
crosses busy street. The difference is
that in crossing a street one takes full
personal responsibility for getting safely
to the other side, but in undergoing
period of induced Inconsistencies. ac-
companied by even a slight risk. the re-
sponsibility has to be transferred to
some one else. Those specialists who are
anesthetics will not be satisfied until
they can say to patient confronted with
a serious operation, I'VE can guarantee
you freedom from all risk due to the
anesthetic. 1t may be many years
before such an ideal is reached. but GER
tainly the rapid progress of this branch
during recent years seems to point to the
fact that it will be reached and probably
within the experience of this generation.
In this country considerable impetus
has been given to the development Of
scientific anesthetics by committee APP
pointed by the British Medical Associa-
tion which from time to time reports on
the results of its inquiries and expert
ments.
The statement of persons in receipt of
relief in London just published shows
that there are 102, 4S5 paupers, of whom
q ,231 are in the workhouse. and 9,2A
dncluding 65S children boarded out be-
yond the unions and II. III other children
under sixteen years Of age) are on the
outdoor list. The total Is lower by d.
1853 than that for the corresponding period
Of 1910, and this is chiefly due to the re-
moval of the pauper disqualification under
the old age pensions act. The number
of paupers represents rate or III per
900 of the population.
Scotland Yard on the Job.
The detective staff at Scotland Yard is
more wide-awake than some people i'm
agine. Already elaborate precautions
have been taken for looking after the
personal safety. and more especially the
belongings, Of visitors to the Delhi dur
bar. An officer with wide experience of
cosmopolitan criminals has for many
months past been engaged in organizing
department., the special object Of which
is to insure that the many we'll known
people who are going to India for this
historic event may be safeguarded as far
as possible against the designs of profess
sonal thieves.
There are some interesting stories of
Lord Kitchener told in Nash's Magazine
by sydney Brooks "Sunstroke? What
the devil does he mean by having sun
stroke?" is given as the classic instance
OF kitcheners attitude toward the weak
err vessels. A favorite captain Of his was
IN int with innOrtanf commits
sion. There was a delay in executing it
through his horse casting shoe. Very
sorry" was kitchener's comment, but
l cannot rest my plan of campaign on a
horses shoe or an officers carelessness."
He has a grim. laconic humor Keep the
gum he is said to have wired to the
war Office authorities. who were pressing
a certain weapon upon hint can throw
stones myself"
To an officer who kept on reporting
that as a result of his various brushes
with the enemy several Beers were seen
to fall from their saddles" Lord Kitch-
they fell they did not hurt themselves /"
What is your taste in hairpins?" is
said to have been the query with which
he annihilated a dandified officer. He
goes instantly to the essentials. Sorry
to report loss of five men through ex-
plosion Of dynamite was the gist of
telegram from the front put into his
hands one day. do you want any more
uyHdiiilte. was MS immaculate answer.
Men do the impossible at a word from
him. Twelve hours in which to carry
this dispatch? You must do it in six
and the officer who had asked for the
twelve hours did it in five.
Prince Worries the Kaiser.
There is much perturbation in the Ger
man royal family circle at the present
time over the escapades Of Prince Adal-
BERT the kaisers third son. This young
man is, it Is said, unusually susceptible
to female beauty, and hS6 fallen in love
with Marienbad woc1an renowned for
her good looks. He is SO infatuated that
he has arranged to psy a visit to her
parents shortly. Rumor has it that the
kaiser will nip the affair In the bud by
ordering the young man to Join a warship
which Is shortly to SAIL on a prolonged
cruise.
From Picking 1t Is announced that the
Chinese government is about to drop the
troublesome moon from its calendar and
follow the practice Of western nations in
using only the sun. The present Chinese
year began January 80. and is the year
forty-eight OF the seventy-sixth cycle
cycle consisting Of sixty years, and the
first year of the first cycle Occurring
B. c. 1887. But owing to the use of the
moon the number of days in the wear
varies considerably. Ordinarily there are
twelve lunations or months, but once