A guide to the administration of ethyl chloride / by G.A.H. Barton.

  • Barton, G. A. H. (George Alexander Heaton), 1865-
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A guide to the administration of ethyl chloride / by G.A.H. Barton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cyanosed in spite of the admission of some air, and so rigid that it was impossible to do anything with him. I decided, therefore, to change to ethyl chloride. In the meantime he rapidly regained consciousness. About 7 c.c. were sprayed into the bag, but a quantity must have evaporated, as he was very excited and refused to take it at once. Eventually he inhaled quietly, then got flushed, struggled, and rose up in bed, no anaesthesia being produced, and he refused to go on with it. I finally got him under gas and ether after a good deal of trouble, and the little operation was completed. He told me after- wards that he had taken brandy before coming in for the operation. No. 121A.—Adult male ; good physique, slightly nervous. Spur on septum. Sitting position with prop inserted. Five c.c. of ethyl chloride administered from a Heath’s inhaler. He breathed it freely and got a good deal of rigidity, clenching of hands, tendency to opisthotonos, and turning of head to right. Pupils unaltered, corneal reflex brisk, but beginning to dis- appear after two minutes’ inhalation. The operation was attempted, but the patient was not under, and resisted, so the inhaler was reapplied, and from 7 to 10 c.c. were sprayed into the bag, the capsule and its case having been removed. He now became relaxed and went under almost immediately, and developed an amesthesia which lasted nearly five minutes and was followed by a little giddiness, but no excitement or vomiting. No. 127.—Young female. Small, pale, and delicate. Has had a temperature of about ioo° F. for several weeks ; has pyorrhoea alveolaris, for which several extractions were to be done. The administration was commenced, as usual, with 5 c.c. of ethyl chloride ; the patient appeared to take it well, but her colour did not heighten, nor respiration become exag- gerated as usual. The corneal reflex almost disappeared at times. After waiting two minutes a further dose was sprayed into the inhaler, the patient struggling a little on reapplication. Some rigidity of arms and movements. At the end of five minutes a further dose was given. Then the prop slipped and had to be readjusted, and the patient struggled a good deal. At the end of eight minutes the patient was no doubt slightly under, and was a little dusky; the corneal reflex was absent and 4—2
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