The principles and practice of midwifery : with some of the diseases of women.

  • Milne, Alexander
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of midwifery : with some of the diseases of women. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Deaths have occurred from time to time during the employment of chloroform, but in many of these in- stances cardiac disease was detected on post-mortem examination. In others, mere terror has been deemed the cause. Dr Jeanuell, in the Gazette Ilebdomadaire, May Gth, 1870, says that he deems the fital issue principally due to the terror felt by the patient before the operation. He thinks the patient shoidd not be made acquainted with the pi-ecise day when an ojiera- tion is to be performed. All cause of anxiety, nervous- ness, and trepidation should be avoided. Amylene.—This substance was discovered by ]\[. Balard, Professor of Chemistry in Paris, nearly thirty years ago. Dr John Snow, of London, was the first to employ it as an anaisthetic. Dr Snow thought that it possessed advantages over chloroform, but ex[)eiience has not confii'med that estimate. It is rarely, if ever, employed for anesthetic purposes. 611. Bichloride of Mithylene, Methylic Ether, Nitrous Oxide Gas.—Various other anesthetics have been introduced from time to time, some of them of gi-eat power, but possessing disadvantages that hinder their employment, especially in obstetric practice. The bichloride of mithylene was introduced by Dr Pichard- son, who has done so much good and useful work in connection ^vitll this subject, but the doctor himself has not a high opinion of it for the purpose of ames- thesia. “ It belonged to a dangerous family of chemical substances,” and could not be widely emjiloyed without some risk. We are glad the learned doctor has ex- pressed himself so unequivocally m regai-d to his own child, the more so seeing tliat at its birth ho was inclined to extol its virtues perhaps a little too strongly. Methylic Ether was also discovered l>y Dr Richardson in 1867. Dr R. inhaled it for the first time himself in May, 1867. He was thoroughly unconscious in seventy seconds, and recovered almost instantaneously, without nausea, headache, or any other unpleasant