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ON THE EFFECTS OF INHALATION OF THE FUMES 
OF AETHER 
ON DOGS AND CATS, AND, BY INFERENCE, ON THE HORSE ; WITH 
THE PROBABLE UTILITY OF SUCH IN VETERINARY MEDICINE. 
When the great American discovery was first announced, every 
veterinarian must have speculated upon the applicability of the 
process to the lower animals. Doubtless many experiments have 
been made by various parties, and I have tried the aetherial fumes 
on both dogs and cats. I placed the sulphuric aether in a Florence 
flask, to the neck of which a large bladder was secured. The head 
of the animal was then introduced into the bladder, and a spirit 
lamp applied to the flask. This answered very well ; but Mr. 
Lucas has attained every result with a more simple and less fragile 
apparatus. 
A large dog, a cross between the Newfoundland and English 
mastiff, was obliged to inhale the fumes. Six drachms of sulphuric 
sether were used. The animal resisted violently. After twelve 
seconds it began to gasp, and uttered sounds between a cry and a 
bark. By the thirtieth second the power to struggle was lost in 
the limbs, though the head was still endeavoured to be withdrawn. 
The urine was discharged freely in great quantity. In forty-five 
seconds the dog was quite still, and to every appearance dead. A 
small sac, containing about half an ounce of inspissated pus was 
removed from the shoulder, and a suture introduced, before the 
animal exhibited any signs of life. It then gasped at intervals, 
and ultimately became conscious. The breathing was much quick- 
ened ; the pulse could not be felt. As the dog regained its sensi- 
bility it had a great desire to escape, and, being held, resisted with 
all its strength. At the expiration of ten minutes it was more quiet, 
and in half an hour seemed perfectly restored. 
A small Scotch terrier, having no disease, was subjected to the 
process for experiment. In fifty seconds it was perfectly narcot- 
ized. The breathing ceased ; the heart could not be felt to beat. 
For one minute and seven seconds it remained apparently without 
life. The mouth was covered with foam, and both the faeces and 
urine had been voided during the first struggles. The animal first 
gasped feebly and at long intervals.. When the breathing became 
more regular a sobbing sound was made for a short time, and the 
animal, after this had ceased, by the eye shewed it was conscious 
when its master spoke to it. In eight minutes it tried to rise, but 
