Chloroform.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8156, 5 April 1906, Page 2

Chloroform.

: Dp. Embley's Itesearches. Interesting Facts About Ch10r0.... .... ■ form. The question of chloroform anajsthesia had already been the subject of a laborious investigation conducted by a special committee of medical experts who met in Hyderabad. The results ! of this investigation, may be given as follow 1. "When chloroform causes death the respiration invariably ceases before the heart stops beating. Failure of the heart is consequent upon failure of the respiration. The administrator of chloroform should therefore pay more attention to the breathing of the patient than to the pulse. 2. Cfcloroform when inhaled does not act as a poison on the heart muscle. 3. Slowing of the heart through its nerves is feebly marked in the chloro- - formed animal, and when it occurs is beneficial. Several investigators subsequent to the Hyderabad commission threw doubt ■ on the validity of its conclusions, but it 3 was reserved for Dr. Embley not only to 1 refute its main contentions, but to show * by what error of technique they had been obtained. He also showed that dangers f were threatened in the early stages of anaesthesia, an important part of the * problem which previous investigators * had ignored. What Dr. Embloy proved c conclusively may be given as follows: - * 1. Failure of respiration is consequent < upon heart failure. , * 2. Chloroform when inhaled does act as a poison on the heart substance. ; : 3. In the early stages of chloroform i. amestbesia tie brain centres which slow a theheart through its nerves are excited :.a to increased activity; and f art ber the '9 heart already poisoned bytho chloroform, 0 and thus acted on through it« nerves, is a liable to stop beating altogether. This stoppage of . the Heart iiijthe early stages i* ;Of an®athesitt is more liable to ocouriitbe £ greater the concentration of the chloroform in'th? breathed., howevmy the chloroform be at first in small amounts,' and then gradually ineeasetJ, this danger is no longer er»» countered. I