ANESTHESIA 299 



Uses Internal. — Chloroform is of service internally in 

 the treatment of four conditions: 1. Intestinal colic, and 

 flatulence. 2. Spasm, as in spasm of the diaphragm in 

 horses. 3. Diarrhoea. 4. Cough. Chloroform alleviates 

 pam m colic by restoring the functions of the nervous and 

 muscular^ mechanism of the bowels, by relieving spasm, and 

 also by its local anaesthetic action. It stimulates motion 

 and secretion ; it is an antiseptic in the digestive tract, and, 

 in these v^ays, overcomes flatulence. 



Chloroform should be combined with opium in diar- 

 rhoea and colic. It is administered in spirit or water to 

 assuage cough. 



Administration. — Chloroform may be administered in 

 3 parts of glycerin ; in emulsion with white of egg or accacia ; 

 or as the spirit, diluted with water.. 



ANAESTHESIA. 



Anjesthesia is commonly divided into three stages: the 

 stimulant, anaasthetic and paralytic. The so-called " law of 

 dissolution " is illustrated by anaesthetics, as the more highly 

 organized (cerebral) centres are the first to succumb, while 

 the lower centres (medulla) are the last to be affected. The 

 anaesthetics resemble other narcotics in producing a primary 

 condition of stimulation of the nervous system, which is 

 followed by depression. In the first stage of anaesthesia 

 there is often struggling and excitement. This is partly due 

 to the physiological action of the drug and partly to fright. 

 In this stage the functions of the brain are stimulated and 

 then depressed. The higher functions are the first to be 

 excited, and the effect produced is very similar to that of 

 beginning alcoholic intoxication. The lower motor functions 

 are next stimulated, inducing struggling and motor excite- 

 ment.* In the first stage of etherization, the local irritant 

 action of the vapor causes choking and coughing, and also 

 induces struggling. The respiratory and' cardiac centres 

 are temporarily stimulated, the pulse and respiratory move- 

 ments are increased in force and frequency, and blood ten- 

 sion is raised. The smaller animals may vomit during the 



* As recent researches show ether, like alcohol, to be depressing to nerve ceotres 



from the outset it is probable that the excitement in anaesthesia is due to the local 



irritation of the throat and fright. . , ,. j 



With the drop method of etherization m man there is little or no struggling and 



excitement. 



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