GENERAL ANAISTHESLA, 29: 
predisposed, to respiratory syncope, cardial syncope or asphyxia 
by spasm of the glottis. 
The period of anesthesva is characterized by arrest in the activity 
of the nervous centers, cerebral lobes, spinal cord and mesoceph- 
alon. The patient is in an artificial sleep. The excito-motor 
centers are paralyzed, the muscles in a state of relaxation; the legs, 
when raised, fallinert upon the ground. Respiration is slow, the 
movements of the ribs are limited, those of the flank more expanded 
than ordinarily. The heart becomes accelerated as soon as its. 
moderating center is paralyzed, but the pulse remains regular and 
full until the stage of intoxication is reached. The eyes stare, the 
pupils remain contracted and immobile. As sensibility passes from 
the various organs, reflexes cease to take place in them. 
The disappearance of sensibility does not take place simultaneously 
in all the tissues nor in all regions ; it successively progresses to the 
organs of spinal sensibility — the legs and trunk—-to the organs of 
sense, to those under the influence of nerves rising from the bulb, and. 
at last to those controlled by the great sympathetic nerve system. 
It is on the nasal, buccal, ocular mucous membranes and towards. 
the genital organs that the last reflexes are observed. At times, 
when anesthesia seems complete, the first cut of the bistoury 
given in a diseased region, may give rise to a reaction ; this is due 
to the fact that some altered tissues, very sore, remain still the seat 
of a peculiar sensibility, while all the other tissues round them are 
asleep. When the interference is to take place upon inflamed 
parts, the operative zone may then remain the ‘‘w/tmum dormiens,” 
the last to lose its sensibility under the action of the anesthetic. 
As soon as the narcosis is complete, all that is necessary to keep: 
it up is to continue the administration, in small doses, of the 
agent used ; with large doses, anzesthesia will soon pass to the third 
period. 
Produced by the absorption of too large a quantity of aneesthetic 
vapors, the period of collapse or intoxication has for principal signs : 
the more and more marked slowness of respiration and of circula-- 
tion and the sudden dilatation of the pupils ; respiratory movements 
are limited and stop at intervals; the cardiac systoles are reduced, 
the pulse’ is small, soft and irregular. Finally the bulb, ‘‘udimum 
moriens,” is intoxicated, respiration stops, the heart ceases beating. 
Death takes place by respiratory syncope. 
Whether ether, chloroform, or other. agents are used, the- 
phenomena of anzesthesia present several peculiarities which ought 
to be known, With ether, we have said, the period of excitement 
is more marked and lasts longer than with chloroform. With some 
fixed anesthetics, the period of excitement is suppressed or scarcely 
marked. If the mode of the special action of chloral is yet to be- 
