856 
Action of Anmsthetics 
[Monthly Microscopical 
Journal, June 1, 1869.J 
therefore, in a paper read before the Koyal Medical and Chirurgical 
Society, in 1861, as the result of certain experiments performed on 
the blood corpuscles of man and animals out of the body, attributed 
the influence exerted by anaesthetics on the nervous system to their 
acting directly upon the blood corpuscles, by modifying their form 
and integrity, and indirectly upon the nervous system through this 
altered condition of the blood, by interfering with its oxygenation. 
In his work he describes a series of six experiments ; placing on 
glass slides, under a quarter-inch object-glass, human and frog's 
blood, and subjecting them to the direct contact of alcohol, ether, 
and chloroform, which resulted quickly in the disintegration of the 
blood corpuscles, leaving nothing but their nuclei and debris of the 
waUs of the corpuscles. From these experiments on blood out of 
the tody, he states in the work referred to : " The effect therefore 
of these agents upon the blood is solution — destruction. At first 
there is a change induced in the cell itself and upon the nucleus 
(in the case of frog's blood) . The globuline of the blood is acted 
upon as it were by a caustic. Finally the old corpuscle is destroyed 
and its colouring matter set free." * * * From the foregoing 
facts and other considerations, the author considers that certain 
conclusions in regard to the action of anaesthetics are warrantable. 
Anaesthetics are agents which when absorbed into the circulation 
exert an influence upon the blood. They are shown to have the 
power of altering its physical character and physical properties. 
By an action upon its constituent (proteinous) elements, they tend 
to alter and by a profounder action to destroy its organic molecules. 
Its physical perfection being interfered with, its function is held in 
abeyance, the changes which contribute to constitute perfect hfe are 
retarded. Narcosis ensues ; and is due, not to the influence of a 
circulating poison, but to the influence of an altered blood. Further 
on he adds : " Narcotism (or to speak more particularly, chloroform 
narcotism) is due not to a special poison that ' mounts up to the 
brain,' but to an altered blood. Then ' narcotism is a suspended 
oxygenation.' Whatever produces to a certain extent insufficient 
aeration of the blood, produces narcosis; and whatever produces 
narcosis produces by some means or other imperfect aeration of the 
blood." 
In drawing these conclusions, of an altered condition of the 
blood, from appearances presented by the blood out of the body. 
Dr. Sansom evidently leaves it to be inferred that somewhat if not 
exactly analogous results are produced on the corpuscles in the 
hody, when human beings or animals are under the influence of 
anaesthetics by inhalation. After a patient, oft-repeated series of 
experiments performed by me during the past three months, not 
only on blood out of the body, but also in cases in which human 
beings and animals have been placed under the influence of ether, 
