166 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



April, 1921. 



duction of many other substances — a host of them in 

 fact — notably Novocaine, eucaine, stovain, quinine and 

 urea hydrochloride and, fairly recently, apothesine. 

 Most of these newcomers are an improvement over co- 

 caine because of their lower toxicity and their resist- 

 ence to heat. They are inferior as a whole in their 

 anaesthetic effect. 



Writing in the "Journal of Laboratoiy and Clinical 

 Medicine," November, 1918, H. C. Hamilton describes 

 a series of experiments to test the relative value of 

 Cocaine, Novocaine and Apothesine. Intracutaneous 

 administration of these three proved that : 



1. Novocaine is about half as efficient as cocaine; 



2. Apothesine is practically equal to cocaine in anaes- 

 thetic value. 



Cocaine, however, is superior to the other two ap- 

 plied to mucous surfaces. 



Concerning the manner of using these substances, 

 little need be said. Solutions of them in various 

 strengths, usually of from 1 to .5 per cent, are injected 

 hypodermieally, intramuscularly or perinem-ally, ac- 

 cording to requirements. When a mucous surface such 

 as the conjunction is to be anaesthetized, a 10 per cent 

 solution of cocaine can be painted on to it. 



In all cases there is a delay of from 5 to 10 minutes 

 (usually) before the effect reaches completeness. This 

 varies with the particular substance used and its con- 

 centration. 



The duration of the anaesthesia depends not only on 

 the agent employed but on the part involved and the 

 time required for its absorbtion. It is pretty well 

 known, I think, that quinine and urea gives a very 

 lasting effect, though it is peculiar in not affecting 

 the skin nearly so much as the underlying tissues. 



A word about absorbtion or rather, about non-absorb- 

 tion. It is evident that if the localization of these in- 

 filtration anaesthetics can be prolonged, their toxic 

 effect is lessened and more of them can be used. I am 

 again approaching the subject of synergists, because 

 we have a preparation of very great value in this re- 

 spect. I refer to adrenaline. 



I have satisfied myself that a 1 per cent solution of 

 cocaine used hypodermieally with 1 : 50,000 adrenaline 

 gives just as rapid, extensive and complete an anaesthe- 

 sia as 3 per cent cocaine alone. 



Dupuis and van den Eekhout (6) state that using a 

 2-5 per cent — 3 per cent solution of cocaine with about 

 the same proportion of adrenaline, they obtained anaes- 

 thesia in nearly 300 cases that lasted quite constantly 

 for about 3 .hours ! 



Eye work, however, affords an exception. Anything 

 less than a 5 per cent solution of cocaine dropped into 

 the conjectival sack is almost useless, and adrenaline 

 does not appear to help the effect very appreciably. 



And, finally, a word about the application of local 

 anaesthetics to obtain regional anaesthesia. This is 

 obtained by "nerve blocking." For example, if both 

 plantars are cocained just below the knee, the limb 

 distal to the site of injection is practically anaesthe- 

 tized. If the medium and ulnar nerves are so treated, 

 nearly the whole arm is without feeling. The proce- 

 dure has a distinct advantage over the extensive infil- 

 tration of a large operative site, biit is limited in its 

 application for purely anatomical reasons. 



strides that would startle even the most visionary 

 healers of two generations past. 



Veterinary science follows. It is some distance in 

 the rear perhaps, but rapidly coming into its own. In 

 closing, gentlemen, I assert that you and I can materi- 

 ally hasten its arrival by the more extensive and better 

 use of anaesthesia in general practice. 



References. 



Some of the following have Ix-en freely quoted : — 



(1) Muldoon, W. E. "Anaesthesia and Narcosis." 

 Report of the New York State Veterinary College, 

 1916-1917. Ithaca, N. Y. 



(2) Muir, E. S. "Action of Certain Somnifacients 

 on the Horse." Journal Comparative Medicine and 

 Veterinary Archives. Philadelphia, Vol. 21, No. 4, 

 April, 1900 et seq. 



(3) White, D. S. Foreword to "Animal Castration." 

 Nashville, Tenn. 



(4) Savage, A. "Surgical Narcosis of Horses by 

 Chloral Hydrate Given Intravenously," Vet. Journal, 

 London, Nov., 1919. 



(5) Hobday, F. "Veterinary Anaesthetics," Lon- 

 don, 1915. 



(6) Dupuis & Van den Eekhout. "Cocaine and Ad- 

 renaline as local Anaesthetics." Reviewed in Journal 

 Comp. Pathology, London, Vol. 22, p. 35, 1919. 



The formula is a,«. follows : 

 Cocaine hydrochloride — 2-5-3 Centigrams. 

 Adrenaline hydrochloride (1-1,000) — 5 drops. 

 Water, 10 grams. 



Modern human surgery began nearly a century ago 

 with the introduction of antiseptics and anaesthetics. 

 They are its legs, so to speak, and on them it has made 



FELLOWSHIPS AND HONORARY MEMBERSHIPS. 



The constitution of the Canadian Society of Tech- 

 nical Agriculturists makes provision for Honorary 

 Members and for Fellows. The former are not eligible 

 for regular membership but are elected upon the re- 

 commendation of the Dominion Executive Committee 

 for "rendering the profession valuable or special ser- 

 vice." Fellowships are granted for professional dis- 

 tinction only and those to whom this title is given are 

 chosen from the regular members. The by-laws 

 provide, however, that there shall not, at any one time, 

 be more than thirty Fellows, and that until that num- 

 ber has been reached not more than five may be 

 appointed at any one annual Convention. 



At the present time the C. S. T. A. has no honorary 

 luciiibci's and no Fellows. Provision has been made, 

 however, in the programme of the first Annual Con- 

 vention, to be held at Winnipeg on June 15, 16 and 17 

 next, for consideration to be given to the appointment 

 of distinguished members and non-members, to these 

 two classes. 



This new Society — the Canadian Society of Tech- 

 nical Agriculturists — is now well established and has 

 earned a reputation for quick and thorough organiz- 

 ation. It is to be expected that any policies adopted 

 or lines of work undertaken will be carried out with 

 the same thoroughness and expedition that have char- 

 acterised its progress during the first year of its exist- 

 ence. 



