CHLOROFORM FOR DOGS.

766 restraint without interference with the movements of respiration are, he considers, of great moment. He advises the "abdominal position" (? prone) with the limbs spread-eagled and hobbled. 2. Cats he regards as much more easily killed by chloroform and requiring the greatest care in their management. Young animals are more susceptible to overdose than are older ones, the sickly and fat than the strong also immediately after the onset of hemiplegia with muscular and well-conditioned. flaccidity. Similarly in spinal cases it occurs in spastic paralyses from any cause and in recent paralyses from injury CONVICTION UNDER THE DENTISTS ACT. of the cord with flaccidity of the muscles and diminution or AT the Louth Borough Police-court on Sept. 8th, before abolition of the tendon reflexes. On the other hand, the the Mayor and other magistrates-including Dr. F. Fawssett phenomenon was not found in hysteria, uncomplicated and Dr. P. Best-Herbert Manning, 86, Upgate, Louth, was tabes, anterior poliomyelitis, or in two cases of section of for that he, not being a legally qualified medical M. Babinski charged the spinal cord. points out that the diverse affections in which it is found have this in common : they practitioner, did so use the words " Dental Institute," as to bring about some perturbation in the pyramidal system, to imply that he was registered under the Dentists Act, and which he attributes the phenomenon. But it does not imply also for that he, not being registered under the Dentists Act, 1878, did use an addition-viz., "15 years’ experience a grave affection ; it may occur in cases of slight and curable in modern dentistry," implying he was a person specially and with the latter. the disappear paralysis Conversely, be absent in cases where the is qualified to practise dentistry. The defendant was warned sign may pyramidal system altered. It valuable in profoundly may prove distinguishing about the large board or sign on his premises with the words organic from hysterical hemiplegia or paraplegia. Also its " Dental Institute," but he did not remove it. He professed presence in tabes would show affection of the pyramidal to do work at half the price of dentists and to correct their system which otherwise might remain unknown. In the misfits. The Bench inflicted a fine of f.7, with 26s. costs, or new-born the phenomenon occurs normally. This confirms one month’s imprisonment. Dr. Best stated that any qualithe theory of its relation to the pyramidal system, for at fied medical man who cooperated with an unqualified dentist in the administration of anaesthetics is liable to be struck off birth the latter is not developed. the Medical Register. The prosecution was conducted by Mr. R. W. Turner, barrister, on behalf of the British Dental CHLOROFORM FOR DOGS. Association. IN the Jourrnal of Comparative Pathology and Tlwrrape1ttws for June an article appears from the pen of Professor Hobday RECOVERY AFTER WOUND OF THE HEART. which deals with the statistics derived from the use of chloroAT a meeting of the Society Lancisiana held in Rome on form in his out-patients’ department at the Royal Veterinary 9th Dr. G. Parlavecchio described a case of punctured to one death is administrations Out of July 500 dogs College. wound of the heart on which he had operated successfully. recorded, that of "an aged fat pug," and a post-mortem On the examination revealed a ruptured portal vein. In two instances night of July 7th a man, twenty years of age, was stabbed with a knife in the fifth intercostal space on the left anxiety was felt ; respiration ceased, but the application of in the side artificial respiration and three minims of hydrocyanic acid parasternal line (the vertical line midway between the border of the sternum and the nipple). He afterwards the animals It will be recovering. (Scheele’s) were given, walked a distance of more than 200 metres (218 yards) the Professor that remembered Hobday, guided by presumed to the of San Giacomo. Five hours later between acid and Hospital hydrocyanic physiological antagonism chloroform upon the respiratory centre, has advocated the he was found to be suffering from pneumothorax on employment of this acid as a means for resuscitation in over- the left side with extensive effusion of blood into the dosage with chloroform. As, however, artificial respiration, pleura, the area of cardiac dulness was increased, especially if done when the animal is placed on its side, is at the apex the heart sounds were -confused, and at the usually sufficient to bring a dog round which has been over- base they seemed to be distant, the pulse was irregular, dosed, it is difficult to feel sure that the recovery in these intermittent, and small. Dr. Parlavecchio suspected a wound of the heart, or at least a wound of the pericardium, but cases may not have been due simply to ventilation of the lungs and enforced expulsion of the chloroform vapours. 120 was not able to operate until eight hours after the injury. cats were chloroformed by Professor Hobday’s method-the Chloroform having been given a free incision was made in aspiration of air over chloroform-and of these 3 died and 1 the fifth intercostal space and much blood escaped on openAfter resection of the fifth rib a wound other was only recovered by restorative measures. In this ing the pleura. two case hydrocyanic acid (Scheele’s), 3 minims, was used with admitting fingers was discovered in the pericardium and was The deaths among the cats are artificial respiration. enlarged so as to expose the heart, in which was near the apex a V-shaped wound, 3 centithere and described are of interest. A few whiffs of chloroform metres (1 in.) long, penetrating obliquely into the left were given ; in the first case the breath was apparently held It was As the suspension of ventricle and intermittently discharging blood. before anesthesia was achieved. with four closed silk be no was to resuscitative sutures, deeply-applied separate voluntary respiration thought after which there was no further haemorrhage. The measures were adopted and too late it was discovered that the cat was dead. There seems little doubt that this was a pericardium and the intercostal wound were then sutured, death due to direct action of too strong a vapour ; many the whole operation lasting 40 minutes. The V-shape of the such were reported by Snow, who regarded them as wound in the heart was probably due to its movement during arising from cardiac failure. The other deaths were due the infliction of the wound. The patient’s survival for the to respiratory failure the result of gradual over-dosage. 8 hours preceding the operation may be explained by occluThe conclusions which Professor Hobday arrives at are : sion of the wound by clot which was displaced during the 1. That dogs are good subjects for chloroform when due pre- struggling occasioned by the chloroform. According to the cautions are taken in its administration and the slapdash Sllpplernento al Polielinico of August 20th, from which the method is laid aside for one in which the dose can be properly preceding is taken, the subsequent history of the case was graduated and the quantity given controlled. Posture and quite uneventful and on August 14th the patient insisted on

variety of

diseases: in hemiplegia from any organic disease (on the paralysed side), in paraplegia, hemiparaplegia (on the paralysed side), in Friederich’s disease, in diffuse meningo-encephalitis, in cerebro-spinal meningitis and in strychnine poisoning, in Jacksonian epilepsy (on the affected side immediately after a crisis). It occurs not only in old cases of hemiplegia with rigidity, but

of in

the

brain

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