938 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1913. 
anesthesia upon man and animals. As a laboratory fixture, so far 
from requiring a greater expenditure of time and attention, its routine 
use has proved to be economical in both these respects; the smaller 
animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and mice, are most conveniently 
prepared and kept ready for operation in a bell-jar or other confined 
space by means of a continuous stream of chloroform and air at per- 
centages rising from 0 to 2 per cent., and subsequently falling from 
1 to 0.5 per cent. 
Our attention has been directed to the action of local anzesthetics— 
cocaine, stovaine, ‘ novocaine,’ ‘ eucaine,’ &c., and we have undertaken 
observations of their relative toxicities as measured by their effects 
upon isolated tissues. But upon the present occasion we desire to 
lay particular stress upon the practical dangers involved in the use of 
these powerful poisons by unqualified persons, more especially in con- 
nection with cheap dentistry. 
This matter has been closely investigated by our Honorary Secre- 
tary, Sir Frederic Hewitt, and we consider that the facts brought to 
light in that investigation are of such gravity as to require the most 
serious consideration of the British Association. The detailed report 
of Sir F. Hewitt and a formal resolution arising out of that report have 
been discussed at length in Section I, and the unanimous opinion of 
the Section, after listening to the opinions expressed by several inde- 
pendent authorities—Professor Barling, Dr. Saundby, Dr. McCardie, 
Dr. George Foy, Mr. Vernon Harcourt, Mr. Leonard Hill, Mr. 
Joscelyne, and Mr. Pearce—is to the effect that it is desirable at this 
juncture that the Committee of Section I should consider, and if judged 
proper forward to the Council of the Association, the following resolu- 
tion :— 
‘That in view of the fact that numerous deaths continue to take 
place from anesthetics administered by unregistered persons, the Com- 
mittee of the Section of Physiology of the British Association appeals 
to the Council of the Association to represent to the Home Office and 
to the Privy Council the urgent need of legislation.’ 
The Committee asks to be reappointed, and that its original reference 
should be extended to include the study of ‘ local anesthetics, such as 
cocaine and stovaine.’ 
APPENDIX. 
An Account of Three Fatal Cases of Poisoning by Cocaine administered 
by Unqualified Persons. By Sir Frepertc Hewirr. 
As Honorary Secretary of the Committee, and as one of those who 
have for some time past urged the need of legislation to prohibit 
the administration of anesthetics by unqualified persons, I venture to 
draw the attention of the Committee to three coroners’ inquests which 
have taken place within the past few months upon members of the 
working-classes to whom cocaine or some derivative thereof has been 
administered for tooth-extraction by unregistered dentists. 
The evidence given at the first of the three inquests went to show 
that the deceased was a woman forty-five years of age, the wife of a 
