The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-02
new AID FOR
SURGERY CASES
Safe Method Of Swing an AH-
aesthetic Found.
BAD AFTER EFFECTS AVOIDED

Patients Saved From Nausea and tn,
Danger of Pneumonia - How the
Ether Is inistered-Diseovered at
Rockefeller Institute.
A new method of administering an.
aesthetics, evolved by DIR. s. ]. Melt2er
Of the Rockefeller institute, with the
cooperation of DR.. Carrel and DR.. Els.
berg, has now been tried in some of the
New York hospitals, aud its success
has demonstrated, the surgeons say
that 1t Is a valuable adjunct to sur
gerry and will soon be in general use.
Stripped of the medical terms, the
system employed is simply putting
tube down the windpipe OF the patient
and forcing air with n bellows into the
lungs. The return current of air passes
through the space between the tube
and the wall of the windpipe, thus
keeping up a system of ventilation.
Thus artificial respiration is estab-
lished. the supply of oxygen replenish-
ed and the carbon dio1ide removed.
Ether Is mixed with the air and ad-
ministered In practically unlimited
quantities If required and without So
rious after effects during operations
which have lasted from four to twelve
hours. The organs Of respiration need
not act during the pumping in of the
air, and the danger of an insufficient
supply Of oxygen is eliminated. In
every way the danger to the patient is
lessened by the new method, for, as
there Is a more direct application of
the ether, 1t takes less to anaesthetize
than in the old way of application. 1t
has been proved that respiration can
be efficiently maintained by means of
the tube without the aid of muscular
action
The new method is not only in use
in several Of the New York hospitals
and those in other cities, but it has
been successfully employed by promi-
nent physicians in private practice Ii
has become the routine method of an
aesthesia at the Rockefeller institute.
At the Mount Sinai and Roosevelt hos
pitals no fatalities have attended its
use, and the surgeons say that one of
the great benefits 1t gives to humanity
is great diminution in the danger of
pneumonia developing from the use of
ether.
In several hundred experiments made
on animals before the system was ap-
piled in practical surgery this ques-
ton Of pneumonia was one of the
questions which at the start of the ex-
periments confronted DR.. Meltzer and
his collaborators. After many trials |
had been made, some Of which lasted
two hours and longer, DR.. Meltzer said
that not In a single instance did an an
imal die from the effects Of the insult |
fation, nor did the respiratory organs
show any after effects. Neither pneu.
monia nor bronchitis ever developed, T.
nor was there any pulmonary infiam-
nation when the lungs were examined
after the operation.
The tests proved also that the new
method practically does away with the
nausea that Is so common in old forms I.
Of anaesthesia.
Another noteworthy fact in the use |
of this ventilation" system, according !
to DR.. Heltzer, Is the remarkable ease
with which the patients become anaes-
thetized. A minute or two after the
ether is turned on they sink into the
deepest state Of anaesthesia, with the
body perfectly quiet and limp. They
may be kept in this state uninterrupt-
edly for two hours or more.
Another advantage is the short time
II takes the patient to recover. This .
awakening can be FASTENED by send
Ing through the tube a stream Of fresh
air. DR.. Meltzer noted in his expert.
ments that the use Of larger quantities
OF ether did not bring the animals into
a deeper state of anaesthesia than
when a moderate amount was used.
Not many experiments were made
with chloroform, but one animal died .
by this method when a great deal of 1t
was used. With the use of ether not
a single animal was lost.