46 CANIiVE AND FELINE SURGERY 



although it certainly deadens pain for minor operations, it 

 does not do away with it altogether, as is the case with 

 chloroform and ether. It is distinctly a useful aid, in that 

 the dazed, stupid condition in which the patient is put 

 renders it more tractable and easily managed. Some dogs 

 will vomit and pass faeces or urine within a few minutes of 

 its administration, and remain dull and stupid for a long 

 time afterwards, whilst others will tolerate exceedingly large 

 doses without any bad effect. Compared with man, the dog 

 is extraordinarily insusceptible to morphia. 



From a tenth of a grain to a grain, depending upon the 

 size of the patient, is a fair range of dose. It is sometimes 

 given in smaller doses, about a thirtieth to a tenth of a grain, 

 subcutaneously, about twenty minutes or half an hour before 

 the administration of chloroform. 



Chloral. 



This drug, given by the mouth, by intravenous or rectal 

 injection, has not found much favour in England as a surgical 

 anaesthetic. The intravenous method of administration in a 

 small animal like a dog or cat has too many risks attached 

 to it to ever become popular to the general practitioner. 

 Given by the mouth or per nxtuin, it should be well mixed 

 beforehand with mucilage, on account of its irritating effect 

 upon the mucous surface Vi'ith which it is brought in contact. 



According to Kaufmann,i the anaesthetic dose averages 

 about 4 grammes, and the toxic dose from 8 to i6 grammes, 

 depending, of course, upon the size of the dog. 



' ' Traite de Therapeutique Veterinaire.' 



