Practial anaesthetics / by H. Edmund G. Boyle.

Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Practial anaesthetics / by H. Edmund G. Boyle. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    having to confess ignorance of the condition of the chest should an accident occur. Before beginning the administration of any anaesthetic it is advisable to ascertain how the patient breathes : he may have nasal or laryngeal obstruction, and it is a good plan, therefore, to make him take one or two deep breaths and to observe any such abnormality. It is, of course, obvious that should there be nasal obstruction, the mouth must be kept open during the operation ; should there be laryngeal obstruction, tracheotomy instruments must be close at hand. Inquiries should next be made as to artificial teeth, and if present they must be removed : they are a source of grave danger, the most dangerous kind being the small plate with one or two teeth which can easily fall back and obstruct the larynx. Closely fitting teeth frequently cause trouble to the anaesthetist, if he has not taken the precau- tion of inserting a dental prop or the corner of a towel before starting the administration. Trouble may also arise with edentulous people from the lips falling in, but this is easily^overcome by placing
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