THE USE OF ANAESTHETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 3

THE USE OF ANAESTHETICS.

The British D,cntal Association has been sotting forth its objections to'Dr.'.Cooper's' Anaesthetics' Bill,- which' seeks to guard against fatal accidents by allowing nono but legally qualified' medical ■ practitioners to 'administer anaesthetics. It provides, moreover, tbgfc from January Iβ 1911, no persoD may be§a>gistered under the .Medical Acts " unless"Hie shall have produced evidence that he has received theoretical and practical instruction in the'administration orthetics." Vested interests (of dontists) are thus, protected-, ' which is highly, proper, though slightly amusing,* and the prohibition does,not extend'to the use'of local anodynes. It is pointodout, however, Mat most of those contain- cocaine, and that their use 1 is there-* fore attended with considerable risk, so .that if we must have legislation; at.all'it" ha 3 bettor be inclusive. .The truth- is that .powerful 'drugs can seldom, bo given'without some sort of danger, and deaths from anaesthetics have taken placo where there could be no question of tho knowledge and skill of the physician, who applied them. Then, as the Dental, Association' also the Bill would press hardly oW patients of modest •' means', who might have to.choose;in'a given case between, the endurance of torture and the-payment of. double fees—one to tho operator and one to/the anaesthetist. —"The Guardian."