Year: 1862

DEATH FROM CHLoROFoRN--A VICTIM OF SCIENCE.


An inquest concluded yesterday at Bellevue Hos
pita upon the body OF one of the inmates named Alice
Ryan who died from tho inhalation of choroGorm under
the following it appeared.
admitted tho hospital the 81 inst suffering from an
injury of tho shoulder joint The patient consented
take choroform and submit operation at the hands
Of Dr. Lowell the house surgeon Soon after the inhaa
tion OF the anesthetc alarming symptoms appeared and
manipulation, which is usual such cases, was sus.
pended. The woman's respiration became soft, sghng
and gaspng and feared she would sink under the
operation Proper remedies lat once applied but
all TO no purpose the patient dying IN about an hour and
q half afterwards.


DR.. James R. Wood made post examination OF
the body forty two hours after DEATH and testified that
the brain exhibited signs of congestion; the blood
not coaguated and Of the color of wine which
justified tho belief that in the Use of chloroform
this should have be n an exceptional case; death
caused by paralysis Of the heart caused by the Inhalation
Of chloroorm, witness used chloroform except
such where the patient could be brought under
tho influence of sui huric ether these he
only allowed an Inhalation of few moments and then
resorted to ether; choroorm was more poisonous in its
effects upon the blood than ether it might destroy
life immediately, but the patient often dies from its
effects hours afterwards at the New York Hospital chic
roform has not been used with n few exceptions for the
last twelve fifteen years; resolution offered that
choroor should be used in Bellevue Hospital except
under the supervision Of the attending physicians
surgeons, but was never adopted there could be
blame attached to the staff or the hospital for using chlo
roform under the existing rules.


DR. Willard Pa ker stated that he had inquired into the
case and could find fault with the mode Of treatment
the article used but very small quantity of choro
form used and the patient not brought pro-
foundly under its influence. The ef'ct seemed TO be
upon the nervous system, parayZng it hence the syn
cope that preceded death and the condition of tho ood
after death At the early stage Of tho discovery OF
anasbetics witness preferred choroform, but after
nearly losing three or four patients he abandone its
and substituted saphuric ether. There no salts
factory method of determining what would tolerate
the Of chloroform.


Professor d Fordyce Barker stated that he preferred
choroform ether because its effects speedy
and were not attended by excitement, in tho or
the last named anmsthec besides IL produced less bron
chia irritation and in certain puerperal exercises
. most beneficial effect


Professors Meeaf and Green corroborated the state
nent Of Dr. Parker and exonerated the house surgeon
from all blame.


The was then submitted to the jury, who after
duo deiberation rendered verdict OF Death by cardiac
syncope following the Of choroform at the hands


house surgeon OF Bellevue Hospital and that he is free
from censnre 10 the Use Of the agent. The jury
mend, however, that the Of choroform be discon
tnued except in thepresence OF the attending
or surgeon