THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHLOROFORM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9565, 22 October 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHLOROFORM.

An important discussion, which took place luring Iho recent Intercolonial Medical Congress in Sydney, in tiio Section of Medicine, was in relation to the administration of chloroform. It was introduced by Dr J. Robertson, of Melbourne, the president of the.section, who read a paper dealing exhaustively with the matter. That increasing knowledge has not since the introduction of chloroform into practice m 1847 contributed to greater safety in its administration was, ho asserted, aa opUounum medichuc. Deaths from the nse of th» anesthetic had rather increased than diminished m recent years; nevertheless, he did uoUfree Uiafc the daiigc-ra liable to result from tiio careless application of chloroform demanded that it saould be put aside. Ho pointed out that in the pre-auKsthetic period sudden deaths on the operating table were not unknown. Some pat;erus were found to succumb on the first incision through the skin; some on sawing through the bone. Fear or fright, and also >>am and shoes, were adduced as the causes the more immediate cause being syncope • and even now some were reported toiiave dfed'from 111 i BinniilS t0 inhale chloroform. iJoubtless lives were saved by the use of chloroform which would have been otherwise lost, and possibly the deaths prevented were quite as numerous os those at SS %?? eirectf- f«™ ™ -Su Imrt u° -mc' sfc Pleasan*. speedy, and eflieieiit anesthetic known, as it required no observed, Dr Robertson pointed out that the pulse and not the respiration, of the patient ungeis, but to occupy carelul attention. When respiration failed there was very little likelihood of the patient being resuscitated! but by closely watching the pulse the physician mi- Z be able to ward oif danger. As dYo"rcTcon°™"X l° "S IW Dc Koterteon urged tho is- iy °| ? i)0'n !:lff . well -'ln»"«^ anrestheUhvb in all large liospilal*, and especially in those attached to m.-dical schools He expressed regret that this necessity had not be°n prolong lire, a responsible officer should be appointed to all large hospitals. It should be h"s t ony ii\ B,K'%H yf-emati<;,and Practioal instru^ tion in auwsfchetica to the students in atfc-ncl--i ,an» siifa? fcic "i all operations. Students .louldako be required at their final eS- uations for degteca in medicine to give evidence of their special practical knowledge 0^ ad ministration of anesthetics." In i subs^nfc paper D r Shewen suggested that CmXby which anaathetics might be rendered less fat-d was byesabhshmg a recognised system of record. What practising physicians wanted to know we r e the symptoms which led up to death, and for that purpose the example of England should be followed in ostabliA ne a colonial clinical history of the effect of the fd^ ministration or anar.thetics. That could only be done in some such way as was clone at Home by a committee interested in the subject, who would draw up a system of record to be dt tnbuted to the various hospitals in the shape ot books,_wb.iob. should be sSat to the seeietary foi- compilation when Clled u 3 .

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