PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF THE METHYL AND ALLIED SERIES. 405 



enable a fiual report to be prepared ; but that, in consequence of the great 

 extent and variety of the subjects to be reported on, and the very recent 

 date of the trial of implements by the Royal Agricultural Society, and by 

 the Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland, on the resxilts of which trials 

 the Report must to a great extent be based, it has been found impossible to 

 complete a final Report in time for the present Meeting. A short Report 

 upon reaping-machines has been furnished by Mr. Oldham ; but the Com- 

 mittee consider it advisable to defer publishing it until it can be inchided in 

 a general Report, especially as some important trials of reapers have been 

 made since it was written. 



Your Committee beg leave to represent that, if reappointed, they are 

 confident of being able in due time to present a satisfactoiy Report to the 

 Association. 



Report on the Physiological Action of the Methyl and Allied Series. 

 By Benjamin W. Richardson, M.A., M.D., F.R.S. 



In introducing the present Report to the Association, I would, as preliminary 

 to new matter of research, record that the siibstance known as bichloride of 

 methylene (the properties of which I was led to study as a part of the work 

 entrusted to me in previous years) has, during the past twelve months, 

 increased very greatly in practical importance. The bichloride has been used 

 for general anaesthesia on a large scale in Guy's, the London, Charing 

 Cross, Ophthalmic, and Samaritan Hospitals. It has also been largely em- 

 ployed for the same purpose in the provinces of England. In Prance its 

 action has been carefully studied, and one of the graduation theses at Stras- 

 bourg has been devoted to the subject of its action. In Italy the bichloride 

 has made its waj', and in Germany it is employed by the distinguished Von 

 Graefe (who learned its application from Dr. Taylor of Nottingham), and by 

 several other eminent surgeons. 



Respecting the action of the bichloride of methylene and its advantages 

 over other anaesthetics as j-ct discovered and rendered applicable, I have re- 

 ceived special rejjorts from the following gentlemen : — Peter Marshall, Esq., 

 Administrator at the Charing Cross Hospital, Dr. Junker, Administrator at 

 the Samaritan Free Hospital, J. Rendle, Esq., Administrator at Guy's,.!. Adams, 

 Esq., of the London Hospital, J. Bader, Esq., Ophthalmic Surgeon at Guy's, Dr. 

 Taylor, Surgeon to the Ophthalmic Hospital of Nottingham, and Mr. Wood of 

 Erighton. 



I am happy to add that up to this date (August) no accident has occurred in 

 the administration of the bichloride. I have never held that it is free from 

 danger, and Ireported in regard to it, at first, that it could not be considered as the 

 safest agent of its kind until it had been administered twenty thousand times 

 "with a totality of less than ten deaths as the result. I hope, however, now 

 that it may even go safely through this very severe ordeal ; for at the lowest 

 estimate it has been administered 4500 times in England alone without 

 a fatal catastrophe. In the experience which has sprung from the adminis- 

 tration of this anaesthetic, one very interesting and valuable practical truth has 

 come forth, viz. that with skill on the part of the administrator the most rapid 

 and safest insensibility can be induced with a quantity not exceeding sixty 

 minims ; thus for small operations, or, I had better said, short operations, 

 such as tooth-extraction, operation for cataract, &c., the required anaesthesia 



