STOVAINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14142, 18 August 1909, Page 9

STOVAINE.

THE NEW ANAESTHETIC.

DrniXG the last few years repeated attempts have been made to discover some form of anaesthetic that will produce insensibility to pain, without weakening the heart's action. Chloroform would, of course, be an ideal anaesthetic if it did not tend to weaken the action of the* heart and to embarrass the breathing in a considerable number of patients; as it is, there is an appreciable danger in giving chloroform to weakly patients, in consequence of which the medical profession has somewhat lost confidence in it as a routine anaesthetic. Moreover, recent researches have ehown that certain individuals are unfortunately predisposed by nature to heart weakness, this weakness being characteristic of that remarkable condition known to medical men as the "status lymphaticus;" people who are thus constitutionally disposed usually show no sign of it during their lives, but are likely to die under chloroform or after sudden comparatively slight shocks. In many of the anaesthetic accidents which have been recorded it has been found that this "lymphatic" condition has been responsible for the fatal ingConsequently endeavours have been made to find some substance that will produce loss of sensibility to pain, without acting on the heart, and preferably without producing unconsciousness. Of course, it has long been known that cocaine will produce anaesthesia of any part to which it is applied, but it is a*highly dangerous drug to use in any but very email quantities, and ! so can only be used to deaden the pain for such small operations as dental extractions, or opening abscesses close to the surface. Morphia will deaden pain, but will not act as an anaesthetic, unless given in such large doses that the patient's life is endangered thereby. So that as none of the drugs in general use were found suitable for acting as an anaesthetic in the manner required, experiments have been carried out with less-known compounds. These investigations were eventually crowned with success, and about two years ago the new anaestheticknown as stovaine—was actually used in an operation on a human subject. Like most other new forms, and owing to the fact that more than one fatal issue was reported from the use of stovaine, it was at one time feared that this drug was also too dangerous to use as an anaesthetic. However, several surgeons were firmly convinced that they were working in the right direction, and a large series of successful operations at University College Hospital, London, was the result of further investigations. Since then the surgeons of several other London hospitals, notablv the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, have reported favourably on stovaine as an anaesthetic. A special committee was appointed to investigate the matter at the London Hospital, and the report of this committee, issued only a few weeks ago, practically confirms the new system of anaesthetic as an advance on chloroform and other anaesthetics generally, especially for patients with weak hearts. The principle of the new anaesthetic system is that by injecting the drug used directly into the spinal canal it immediately deadens the nerves of the body just where they arise, and so stops all painful sensations. When this is done by experienced persons there appear to be no unpleasant after-effects, such as sometimes occur with chloroform.- Even during severe operations under stovaine patients are conscious all the time, and say they feel quite comfortable. # There is no doubt that in the leading hospitals, and amongst leading surgeons in private practice, stovaine will be used with increasing frequency in operations upon patients whose hearts are weak, or when there is any other reason why chloroform or ether may be particularly dangerous.