Ether before Anaesthesia

Ether anaesthesia, 1842-1900.

The present position of ether anaesthesia.

Ether has been our good friend and trusted helper for one hundred years. But, to-day, some of our colleagues maintain that this drug should not be used, although many experienced practitioners still consider ether to be one of the best anaesthetic agents. This difference of opinion arises, I believe, because of the absence of a clear differentiation between the action of the anaesthetic drug an...

Convulsion during ether anaesthesia; a case report.

A five-year-old girl was admitted to Hammer-smith Hospital with a diagnosis of a perforated appendix. Her mother stated that she had complained of pain in the R.I.F. for 12 hours prior to admission, that during that time she had vomited periodically and was "breathing very fast." The pain had become severe in the evening and she was brought up to the Casualty Department. Physical examination re...

Neurophysiological Studies on Nitrous Oxide and Diethyl Ether Anaesthesia.

The spontaneous electrical activities and alterations of the activation threshold of the neo-, palaeoand archicortical systems were investigated during nitrous oxide and ether anaesthesia. In the neocortical system the threshold for hypothalamic stimulation, induced spindle bursts, recruiting response and thalamic arousal reaction were also examined. The results obtained were as follows: (a) Ni...

Changes in respiratory physiology during ether--air anaesthesia.

Measurements of arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tension, alveolar ventilation, alveolar to arterial oxygen difference, and ratio of deadspace to tidal volume have been made to show the changes induced by ether/air anaesthesia with spontaneous respiration, with mechanical ventilation, and with mechanical overventilation. There was a disproportionate fall in oxygen tension during spontaneous r...