323 



I may here add, that no rectification at all is required from the 

 first, if the chloroform be only washed with water till its volume no 

 longer diminishes, and then treated, as above, with concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid. 



It is possible that some of the fatal cases may have occurred from 

 an injudicious mode of administering the vapour, or from the opera- 

 tor intrusting the administration to persons not qualified to recognise 

 those signs which tell the experienced practitioner that it is time to 

 stop. There ought always to be two well-qualified persons present, 

 — one to watch, without intermission, the effects of the vapour, 

 which he also administers as required ; the other, of course, to ope- 

 rate. He who gives the chloroform must carefully attend to the 

 state of the respiration, as has been often recommended by Dr 

 Simpson. But these are matters beyond the proper province of 

 this paper, and I leave them them to those who are better qualified 

 than I am to discuss them. 



I have only to add, that this paper was written and read before I 

 heard of a recent article in " Chambers' Journal " on the subject ; 

 and that I had not the remotest knowledge of or concern in that 

 article, which I have not yet seen, although, as I am told, the 

 author of it agrees with some of my conclusions in regard to the em- 

 ployment of chloroform in London. 



A tabular view of the properties of chloroform will be found on 

 the following page. 



VOL. II. 



