DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1502, 3 December 1874, Page 2

DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Mr. James Draper, of Sydney, who had been placed under chloroform for the purpose of ttadergolog aa operation for c'sftsfer io tbe ! Iffl died, drider its influence. Dr. Curtii*, ab ] the inqife's^ f?.*j«>?ed :—Dr. Morgan administered tbe chloroform1, gitm° it" to him very slowly, and the deceased, by a iiWatsil effort, appeared to resist its effect for some tittle', So'on1 tf-fto he began to get under its influence he commenced" W struggle violently. During this time I was feeling hi# pt»lde, and it was quite strong and regular. He bee, me quite under the influence of the chlorofofiri. I tnrned round to get the instruments to perform tlte operation from off the table, and on looking af de«eased agaia I observed that his breathing had cea«ccl. X got soirfe ammonia, and tried to restore tffe' by means of artificial respiratioa, tnit he was dttul- Dr.- Morgan deposed : When the chloroform oegiu*? to render a person insensible he nsuaily strtiggifcH, talks nonsense, aud exhibits the usual symptoms of intoxicatioa, and then a stitfnessof aIL thevol■ttntarymasclessetsin: thisoccurred in thecase of deceased. Dr. Machattie said :" I believe that the immediate cause of death was syncope of the heart, and I believe that syncope was principally produced by the obstruction to the ascending vena cara—tha.t obstruction being brought about by the over-distended gall-bladder and the gall-stones produced. A verdict was returned aquitting the medical gentleman of blame.