ELECTRIC SLEEP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11116, 2 November 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

ELECTRIC SLEEP.

NEW SUBSTITUTE FOR ANAESTHETICS.

M. Stephen Leduc, the eminent professor of the -School $>£ Medicine, at Nantes, has recently discovered: a method of causing "electric sleep;' 7 which, it is claimed, will m the nea»" future replace chloroform and other anaesthetics m all surgical operations.

The discovery proceeded from the study; of the effects of intermittent currents and from the knowledge that skull and brain offer but little resistance, to the currents. For a human being the current is of thirty-five volts applied intermittently m full strength for minute fractions of a second. Two electrodes are applied to the skull m a. special manner, the points of application being first carefully shaved. M.. Le^duo has made scores of experiments, says La Revue, on ,dogs and .on himself. All were successful. The application of the current on the Jiead is not dangerous. No ill effects follow, even when the experiment lasts for hours. The advantages of "electric sleep" are numerous. 'Anaesthesia by chloroform, morphine, or ether is disagreeable, is always dangerous, and has often proved fatal. The awakening is painful, the patient being ill and often very agitated. But during "electric sleep" the patient is perfectly quiet, and the awakening occurs as soon as the' electrodes are withdrawn.

The sensations after the operation are quite agreeable ; the mind seems to think more clearly and more rapidly ; and there is a sense of increased physical vigor. Tliis has led M. Leduc to wee his "brainelectrisation" for cases of nervoxis exhaustion and even of ordinary fatigue and moral depression, with wonderful results.

Incidentally, the scientist claims that the aimlication m a certain manner of his special current will electrocute the subject m an absolutely painless manner, a. gentle sleep being followed by gradual but certain death.