IXTRASPIXAL ANESTHESIA 359 



Some alcohol may now be poured on the operator's hands 

 (he should not wipe this oft'). The operator now takes up 

 the syringe which had been laid on a sterile towel to cool. 

 Great care must be used to see that neither the syringe nor 

 the operator's hands touch anything which has not been 

 sterilized. The operator now draws the barrel of the syringe 

 full of the novocaine solution. The syringe point is then 

 detached from the barrel of the syringe which is laid aside 

 on the sterile towel (or in a sterile pan a metal pan can be 

 quickly sterilized by pouring a few cubic centimeters of 

 95% alcohol into it, flowing the alcohol over all the inner 

 surface of the pan and then setting fire to the alcohol. 

 When the pan cools it is ready for use.) 



The operator selects a point of entrance for the needle 

 about three-eighths of an inch to the right side of the mid- 

 line and a little caudalward from the tip of the spinous 

 process of one of the anterior lumbar vertebrae. The needle 

 is inserted by directing it slightly toward the mid-line and 

 a little in the direction of the head. If the needle hits the 

 spinal canal correctly some spinal fluid may escape. (It is 

 very desirable to have a needle which carries a plunger in- 

 side, i. e., a trocar and cannula to fit the hypodermic syringe. 

 In this case the plunger is withdrawn after the needle is in- 

 serted and fluid can flow out more readily.) When the 

 needle is inserted into the canal the barrel of the syringe is 

 picked up, any air which it may contain is expelled after 

 which the barrel is attached to the needle (which has been 

 left in place) and one cubic centimeter of novocaine solu- 

 tion is injected into the spinal canal. The needle is then 

 withdrawn and the opening may be covered with a drop of 

 collodion. 



The animal is quickly untied and the muzzle is removed. 

 If the gas has been given properly and the dog was a suit- 

 able subject for this form of anesthesia (some dogs cannot 

 ~be anesthetized well at all iritli gas) recovery from the N 2 

 should occur in a few minutes. Place the animal on the 



