I »k. Buchanan on the Effects of the Initiation of Ether. 153 



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22d February, 1847. — The Vice-President in the Chair. 



Mr. William Henry Long was admitted as a member. 

 Professor Gordon described a simple contrivance which ho had devised 

 for smoky chimneys. The following paper was read: — 



XXIV. — Physiological Effects of the Inhalation of Ether. By Andrew 

 Buchanan, M.D., Professor of the Institutes of Medicine in the Uni- 

 versity of Glasgow. 



The Council of the Society having thought that the discussion of this 

 subject might prove both interesting and useful, and having applied to 

 me to bring it forward, I complied solely from the desire to render to the 

 Society any service in my power ; but certainly not from thinking my 

 knowledge of the subject so exact, or my opinions upon it so matured, as 

 to entitle me to bring it forward spontaneously ; but I hope to meet with 

 indulgence for the imperfections you may find in the performance of a 

 duty not sought for, but imposed upon me. 



It has long been a desideratum in the medical art, to lessen the pain 

 of surgical operations — for as to removing it altogether, no rational man, 

 9160 in his most sanguine moments, ever dreamt of it. It was at one 

 time attempted to deaden the pain by means of opium ; but the attempt 

 was abandoned, because it was found impossible to administer the drug 

 in sufficient doses to blunt sensibility without risk of more serious conse- 

 quences. I need scarcely mention the more recent attempts, by means of 

 animal magnetism ; for I hold the abandonment of an object so important 

 by the professors of the mesmoric art, to be a tacit acknowledgment that 



