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CHAPTER VIII. 



IMMEDIATE AND REMOTE POISONING 

 BY CHLOROFORM. 



The mode of action of the organic hypnotics. The immediate 

 dangers of chloroform narcosis. Vagus inhibition. Lowering of 

 the blood-pressure. Delayed chloroform poisoning. 



ENTHUSIASTIC advocates of chloroform as the 

 ideal anaesthetic (usually hailing from the 

 north) used to say, " Chloroform kills your patient 

 to-day, and ether kills him to-morrow." They 

 referred of course to the pulmonary complications 

 which may follow the use of the latter drug. We are 

 now finding out that chloroform too may not claim 

 its victims until to-morrow. Before proceeding to 

 classify the counts in the indictment against chloro- 

 form, it may be of interest to relate a plausible 

 theory of the mode of action of the anaesthetics and 

 other organic hypnotics. 



Hans Meyer reminds us that the nervous system is 

 largely built up of fatty substances such as lecithin ; 

 that the organic hypnotics, including ether, chloro- 

 form, ethyl chloride, chloral hydrate, trional, and 

 sulphonal have it in common that they are com- 

 paratively insoluble in water, but very miscible with 

 fats and oils. It would be reasonable to suppose, 

 therefore, that when these substances are circulating 

 in dilute solution in the blood-stream after adminis- 

 tration, fatty structures such as the nervous system 



