ACCIDENTS DURING ANESTHESIA 169 



sodium bicarbonate, per rectum, one-half hour before starting anes- 

 thesia, but the value of this procedure is in doubt. 



Rectal or Colonic Anesthesia. Ether may be given per rec- 

 tum after the bowel has been cleaned vs^ith a saline, sodium bicar- 

 bonate enema. Ether vapor is then passed in through a special 

 apparatus, but this method was never very popular. Another way 

 to produce rectal anesthesia is to inject ether and olive oil, 1 part of 

 ether to 3 parts of olive oil, after emptying the bowel with an enema. 



This method has not proved satisfactory because it was not easy 

 to produce anesthesia in dogs, and cats suffered from secondary after 

 effects as much as or more than when given ether by inhalation. 



Intravenous General Anesthesia. In this method the anes- 

 thetic is injected intravenously. Chloroform and ether have been 

 used. They are injected in dilute aqueous solution in saline or in 

 blood sertmi. This method has not proved popular. 



Intratracheal Insufflation. This method consists of passing 

 the anesthetic through a catheter inserted down near the bifurcation 

 of the trachea, and passing air and vapor down by means of pressure. 

 This needs preliminary anesthesia to abolish the laryngeal reflex. 

 To avoid rupturing the lungs by excessive pressure, this method re- 

 quires a manometer, and has not been considered as feasible for 

 veterinary use. 



Treatment for Accidents During Anesthesia. 



1. If the pulse becomes rapid and weak, withdraw the anesthetic 

 and give salines. 



2. For collapse: 



A. If from ether, lower the head, raise the feet and give air. If 

 from chloroform keep the body level, so as to avoid heart failure. 



B. Keep up the body warmth. 



C Inject atropine, caffeine or camphor hypodermically. Cam- 

 phor may be useful in chloroform collapse where the heart is at fault. 

 Avoid alcoholic stimulants. Hobday recommends a full dose of 

 hydrocyanic acid placed upon the tongue for chloroform poisoning 

 in dogs. 



D. If an ether case, give hot salines per rectum or infusion with 



adrenaline. 



E. Start artificial respiration. 



E. If the heart stops, massage the organ or inject a few minims of 

 tincture of digitalis and adrenaline chloride into the ventricular 

 cavity and massage. 



Ether, whisky and strychnine hypodermically have repeatedly 

 been shown to increase the collapse. 



