268 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



AncBsthetics. — Second Interim Report of the Committee, consisting of 

 Dr. A. D. Waller (Chairman), Dr. F. W. Hewitt (Secretary), 

 Dr. Blumfeld, Mr. J. A. Gardner, and Dr. G. A. Buckmaster, 

 appointed to acquire further knowledge, Clinical and Experimental, 

 concerning Anaesthetics — especially Chloroform, Ether, and Alcohol 

 — with Special Reference to Deaths by or during Anaesthesia, and 

 their possible Diminution. 



[Plates IV., V., and VI.] 



APPENDIX PAGES 



I. On the Principles of Anaesthesia by Ether Vapour. By Dr. A. D. Waller . 270 

 II. On the Rate of Assumption of Chloroform by the Blood ; and the Percentages 

 of Chloroform found in the Blood of Cats at the Asphyxial Point, using 

 different Strengths of Chloroform-Air Mixture. By Dr. G. A. Buck- 

 master and Mr. J. A. Gardner ....... 275 



III. The Influence of Oxygen upon the Anaesthetic Effect of Chloroform. By 



F. W. Hewitt, M.A., M.D., and A. D. Waller, M.D., F.R.S. . . 278 



The Committee have held seven laboratory meetings during the past 

 year, at which apparatus for the graduated administration of chloroform 

 and of ether has been examined and discussed, and experiments made 

 therewith upon animals. In addition to such formal experiments in 

 presence of the full Committee, many additional experiments have been 

 made and reported to the Committee : — 



1. On the graduated administration of chloroform vapour. 



2. On the graduated administration of ether vapour. 



3. On the effects upon the course of anaesthesia of diminution and 

 augmentation of the percentage of oxygen in the inspired atmosphere. 



4. On the amounts of chloroform present in the blood and in the 

 nervous system of man and of animals after death under chloroform. 



These several subjects will be reported upon in due course. They 

 have involved an amount of detailed work that causes the Committee to 

 state that their work could be considerably forwarded if an assistant 

 devoting his whole time to the matter could be engaged. 



The Committee, after consideration of several forms of apparatus 

 designed for the graduated administration of chloroform, and after 

 adequate experience of the use of the chloroform-balance for the 

 anaesthesia of animals, believe that this apparatus can be usefully 

 employed in the hospital. They have taken preliminary steps towards 

 bringing the apparatus into a* form suitable for this purpose, and they 

 hope that it will shortly be set in operation at St. George's Hospital, 

 under the supervision of Dr. Hewitt. 



The principle of this apparatus and its application in the laboratory 

 are described by Dr. Waller in Appendix II. of the Interim Eeport of 

 the Committee of last year. 1 



The apparatus fulfils what has been recognised by the Committee as 

 the most important indication necessary for safe anaesthesia, viz., the 



1 Brit. Assoc. Report, Winnipeg, 1909, p. 303. 



