The development of inhalation anaesthesia : with special reference to the years 1846-1900... / [Barbara M. Duncum].
- Duncum, Barbara M.
- Date:
- 1947
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The development of inhalation anaesthesia : with special reference to the years 1846-1900... / [Barbara M. Duncum]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
455/664 page 435
![' 7. The patient is, as a rule, anaesthetised and ready for the operation to be commenced when unconscious winking is no longer produced by touching the surface of the eye with the tip of the finger. . . . When once the cornea is insensitive, the patient should be kept gently under by occasional inhalations, and not be allowed to come out and renew the stage of struggling and resistance. '8. As a rule, no operation should be commenced until the patient is fully under the influence of the anaesthetic, so as to avoid all chance of death from surgical shock or fright. ' 9. The administrator should be guided as to the effect entirely by the respiration. His only object, while producing anaesthesia, is to see that the respiration is not interfered with. '10. If possible, the patient's chest and abdomen should be exposed during chloroform inhalation, so that the respiratory movements can be seen by the administrator. If anything interferes with the respiration in any way, however slightly, even if this occurs at the very commencement of the administration, if breath is held, or if there is stertor, the inhalation should be stopped until the breathing is natural again. . . . ' 11. If the breathing becomes embarrassed, the lower jaw should be pulled, or pushed from behind the angles, forward, so that the lower teeth protrude in front of the upper. . . . '12. If by any accident the respiration stops, artificial respiration should be commenced at once, while an assistant lowers the head and draws forward the tongue with catch- forceps, by Howard's method, assisted by compression and relaxa- tion of the thoracic walls. . . . [Cf. Appendix C] ' 13. A small dose of morphia may be injected subcutaneously before chloroform inhalation, as it helps to keep the patient in a state of anaesthesia in prolonged operations. There is nothing to show that atropine does any good in connexion with the administration of chloroform, and it may do a very great deal of harm. ' 14. Alcohol may be given with advantage before operations under chloroform, provided it does not cause excitement, and merely has the effect of giving the patient confidence and steadying the circulation. ' The Commission has no doubt whatever that, if the above rules be followed, chloroform may be given in any case requiring an operation with perfect ease and absolute safety so as to do good without the risk of evil.' 1 In spite of the 588 carefully described experiments on the lower animals—animals either healthy or deliberately made diseased and submitted to a variety of the most rigorous tests](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20457200_0459.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
