A treatise on etherization in childbirth : Illustrated by five hundred and eighty one cases / By Walter Channing.

  • Channing, Walter, 1786-1876.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on etherization in childbirth : Illustrated by five hundred and eighty one cases / By Walter Channing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    Both infant and mother did well, having not the least noticeable result arising from the use of the chloroform. — Yours, Augustus K. Gardner. From Charles Gordon, M.D. [Dr. Charles Gordon, of Boston, communicates five cases; of which two are printed, the first and the last. J Case No. 1. — Mrs. C.; second labor. I was called four hours after the pains began. Os uteri partially dilated ; vertex presented. After about an hour, the liquor amnii was discharged, and, almost immediately, powerful expulsive pains ensued. At this period, ether was administered ; two ounces were poured upon a sponge. In from five to ten minutes, she became unconscious. The pains continued rapidly and forcibly for about twenty minutes, when the child was born. Very soon, the mother recovered sufficiently to realize her condition, and expressed, in very enthusiastic terms, her lore for an article that had so completely annihilated her suffering: and, at the same time, complained of my not administering it at an earlier stage. The mother and child did well. Case No. 5. — Mrs. H. ; fifth labor. I was called six hours after the pains began. Os uteri.partially dilated and dilatable ; vertex presented ; pains regular and severe. I administered sixty drops of chloroform with an inhaler. Unconsciousness almost immediately followed; and this state was kept up almost completely for an hour and a half, by repeated inhalations given in small quantities, about twenty drops at a time being sufficient for the purpose. During this period, the child was born, with- out the consciousness of the mother ; and she expressed herself in the strongest terms of the delightful effects of the chloroform, and also of the trifling amount of suffering she had experienced in the present instance, in comparison with that of her previous labors. The placenta was retained from thirty to forty minutes after the birth of the child ; but this is not an uncommon occurrence. The amount of chloroform used was about half an ounce. The mother and child did well. [The following extract from Dr. Gordon's letter contains his answer to the 11th question in the circular : —] The important question to be settled now seems to be the safety and propriety of the use of the anesthetic agents in natural labor. Of course, no one doubts the propriety of their use in such cases as require the interference of art, either by the aid of instruments, or in any way that will cause a great degree of suffering. It will be observed, that, in the foregoing cases, these agents were employed in natural labor; and also at a period when the circumstances