182 
Safe Anesthesia. 
[February, 
to the effects of small doses of chloroform and ether on the 
rapidity of nervous and mental processes. By a refined 
method of experimenting with Regnault’s chronograph, it 
was ascertained that a few respirations of air containing 
chloroform or ether produced remarkable retardation in the 
time of signalling back that a visual impression had been 
perceived, although the person operated on was quite uncon- 
scious of any such delay. 
The committee are continuing their researches, and we 
shall look forward to the issue of their third report. There 
would seem to be little doubt of their finding an agent or 
agents which will partially, if not entirely, supersede chloro- 
form as an anaesthetic. 
Writing on this subjedt in the British Medical Journal , 
Mr. J. T. Clover, F.R.C.S., says that a few years ago he 
received a supply of the ethidenefrom Messrs. Schoelensack ; 
and after using about half he put the remainder on the shelf, 
not finding it sufficiently better than chloroform to counter- 
balance the objections to introduce a new anaesthetic. He 
found that it produced sickness ; and he was not so much 
impressed by its not seriously depressing the acftion of the 
heart, because he has found that chloroform in diluted doses 
rarely does so. 
After reading the report, he found half a bottle (about 
eight ozs.) of his original stock left. The cork was as sound 
as if it had only just been put into the bottle, and the liquid 
was unaltered, thus affording proof of the stability of the 
substance. He has tried it again, and although probably it 
excites as much vomiting as chloroform, he is disposed to 
give it a further trial. 
With regard to the remark of the committee that prac- 
tically a dog will live for a lengthened period in a state of 
complete ansesthesia under the influence of ethidene dichlo- 
ride, whilst it will die in a short time when chloroform is 
used, Mr. Clover suggests that the strength of the vapour 
of chloroform was greater than that of the ethidene, which 
would be greatly reduced in consequence of the coldness of 
the liquid produced by evaporation. He thinks a like failure 
of the heart might have happened if a fresh bottle of ethidene 
had been used instead of chloroform. 
