182 



CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



cocain has toxic properties and tiiat no more than 

 a tenth of a grain per pound weight of the patient 

 should be injected at one time. The addition of 

 adrenalin to the solution not only delays absorption 

 into the circulation and so diminishes the risk of 

 poisoning, but by constricting the capillaries it 

 renders the operative field comparatively bloodless — 

 a great advantage in some operative procedures. 



Technic. — The site of operation is shaved and 

 cleaned up as described hereafter, and a sterilized 

 hypodermic syringe is filled with the anesthetic 

 solution. A sterilized needle is introduced under 

 the skin in the usual manner, the syringe attached, 



Chloroform Inhaler. 



a few drops injected, and the needle withdrawn. 

 Within the wheal produced by the first injection the 

 needle is again introduced and another injection 

 made, and so on until the whole operative area is 

 injected. Gentle massage to the part is then applied 

 for a minute or so in order to distribute the solu- 

 tion. A pause of about fifteen minutes must be 

 made before commencing the operation. 



General Anesthesia 



Being so easily and safely induced, general anes- 

 thesia in canine practice is by far the most prac- 

 ticable and satisfactory. The general anesthetics 

 most in vogue are chloroform and ether, but various 

 mixtures of these, with or without the addition of 

 alcohol, are often substituted, but with no advan- 



