312 
F. TORRANCE. 
the memories of IMorton and Simpson. Are we as a profession i 
making as mnch use of anaesthesia as we might, employing it 
every day to alleviate the sufferings of our patients under the i 
knife or cautery^ ? Hvery V. S. is familiar with chloroform, 
ether and cocaine, and understands the methods of administra- ^ 
tion theoretically, but practically, does he use them every day ) 
in his practice? I think not. d'oo many make no use of an- ^ 
aesthetics unless for the performance of an operation of an ex- j 
ceptional nature, d'oo many are satisfied to perform even serious s 
operations without any anaesthetic, provided the struggles of the | 
animal can be controlled in any other way, and there are some | 
in the profession whose only anaesthetic is the twitch. < 
Is this apparent indifference to the sufferings of our patients ; 
a proof of our cruelty or hardheartedness? I hope not. We ; 
have chosen a profession whose very existence depends upon our ; 
ability and willingness to relieve our dumb patients when suffer- ; 
ing disease, and to alleviate the pain and repair the damage re- j 
suiting from injuries. Why, then, should we be indifferent to | 
the pain inflicted by a surgical operation? Is it the cost of the | 
drug, or the time required for its administration ? I think not. j 
The real reason, to my mind, lies deeper than this. It is the j 
impression that there is a certain amount of danger in giving j 
chloroform, that it requires a special apparatus for its adminis- j 
tration, and lastly, that the patient must first be cast and secured ! 
with hobbles or ropes. 
These certainly would be serious drawbacks if they were 
true ; but they are more imaginary than real, and are the result 
of wrong teaching on the part of some who should know better. 
Fleming, for instance, describes the “ Carlisle Inhaler ” as nec¬ 
essary for the administration of chloroform. In Hoare’s Thera- j 
pentics, p. 348, the same idea prevails, and with the opinions of ■ 
such authorities before him, it is no wonder the general prac- | 
titioner hesitates to give chloroform without an inhaler. These | 
appliances have certain advantages, such as shortening the stage | 
of excitement, and economizing the drug, but as to being essen- i 
tial in any way it is a great mistake. Chloroform may be ad- j 
