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.
562/664 page 542
![' Methods of Administration ' Towel versus engine. Brains versus valves. (1) Give all your attention. (2) Have your artery forceps ready [for pulling forward the tongue]. (3) Watch the breathing. (4) Watch the patient's appearance. ' How do you know when the Patient has had enough ? (a) Insensibility of conjunctiva. (b) Muscular relaxation. (c) Local insensibility of part to be operated upon. ' How do you know when the Patient has had too much ? (a) Tongue falling back. (b) Glottis closing. (c) Fainting. (d) Vomiting. (e) Respiration and heart's action stopped.' 1 Although Scottish and American anaesthetic practice had in common the custom of entrusting administration to students, there was a marked difference in the working of this system in the two countries. This was largely due to the fact that in Scotland chloroform was invariably used in surgery while in America ether was used. The Scots maintained that so long as certain clearly defined rules were observed chloroform anaesthesia was absolutely safe. Accordingly they strictly drilled each student in the application of those rules before he was allowed to undertake administration. Within these narrow limits the result was an efficient anaesthetist and for this reason the Scots remained satisfied with their system. The Americans, on the other hand, maintained that ether anaesthesia was reasonably safe in any hands, so that it was unnecessary to rehearse the student once he had been shown his part ; more often than not the result was an inexpert anaesthetist. On the Continent of Europe the routine of administering an anaesthetic resembled American or Scottish, riever English, methods ; that is to say administration was entrusted to a medical student or to a house surgeon to whom adequate pre- 1 Brit. med. J., 1892, ii, 936.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20457200_0570.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
