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.
528/664 page 508
![The post-mortem examination revealed extensive disease of the heart. ' I believe said Lotheissen, ' that in this case the principal cause of death was not dilatation of the heart but the arterio-sclerosis of the coronary arteries.' At this time, 1900, Lotheissen mentioned that ethyl chloride was useful for inducing anaesthesia, which was then maintained with ether, or more frequently, chloroform.1 The Continental reports of the use of ethyl chloride as a general anaesthetic in dentistry, and in particular Lotheissen's reports of its use in minor surgery, were read by William J. McCardie, anaesthetist to the Birmingham General and Dental Hospitals. ' Being much interested ', wrote McCardie, ' I trans- lated and published Lotheissen's papers [in the Birmingham Medical Review, in January and December 1900], but waited till some 2500 cases (with one fatality [Lotheissen's case]) had been reported abroad before I began to administer ethyl chloride myself. I published my first cases in 1901.' In this report on his first ten cases anaesthetized with ethyl chloride at Birmingham during the early months of 1901 McCardie stated : ' Before I tried ethyl chloride on others I asked Mr. Charles St. Johnston, M.R.C.S., to administer it to me experimentally in a dental chair, and I can say that the subjective effects were like those of nitrous oxide in every respect and not at all unpleasant. . . . ' I used Breuer's mask for all these patients and found it very convenient to manipulate. At no time had I anxiety, nor did I see any change for the worse either in respiration or circulation. I have several times used ethyl chloride instead of nitrous oxide as a preliminary to etherisation and with the same successful effect. The few cases which I have briefly and imperfectly recorded have been so successful that I shall lose no suitable opportunity of testing the drug in carefully selected patients for longer and more difficult operations.' 2 McCardie's first seven cases were for dental extractions ; in the third case ethyl chloride anaesthesia was a failure and the operation was completed under nitrous oxide. In cases eight and nine the patients were children and the operation the removal of tonsils and adenoids. Case ten was that of an adult with granulations of both ears, for scraping. 1 Munch, med. Wschr., 1900, 47, 601-3. 2 Lancet, 1901, i, 698.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20457200_0532.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
