130 VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA. 



a very good plan to inject hypodermically a small 

 dose of morphine and atropine fifteen to twenty 

 minutes prior to placing the animal under the action 

 of an anesthetic. Chloroform as a rule is given with 

 the admission of a considerable volume of air, but 

 some prefer to allow it to be inhaled without air, 

 claiming that under these circumstances a much less 

 quantity is required, and hence all dangers are corre- 

 spondingly decreased. During anaesthesia the opera- 

 tor must carefully watch both respirations and pulse, 

 allowing full draughts of pure air as soon as complete 

 anaesthesia is produced ; occasionally gently touching 

 the cornea with the finger to note if reflex excitabil- 

 ity is returning ; if so, administer more chloroform. 

 Never operate on any animal unless under com- 

 plete anaesthesia, as the incomplete stage is very 

 dangerous, since in this condition reflex inhibition 

 over the pneumogastric upon the heart may be the 

 means of arresting the action of the heart's motor 



ganglia. 



Contra- Indications for Ancesthesia are dilata- 

 tion of the heart, fatty degeneration of the heart, 

 kidney disease, emphysema of the lungs, and brain 



tumors. 



Treatment of dangerous symptoms while under 

 the action of chloroform anaesthesia are: Artificial 

 respiration if possible, draw tongue forward and clear 

 away mucus from mouth, warm applications and 

 friction to body and limbs, and hypodermic injection 

 of atropine. 



Since chloroform in its purity is irritant to the 



