[The potency of lignocaine spinal anaesthesia].

LIGNOCAINE has as yet been very little used for spinal anaesthesia, Adams (1956) alone having reported a series of cases in this country. This is probably because at the present time general anaesthesia is the rule and there is little interest in finding a better spinal analgesic. Having been very impressed by a sample of 5 per cent hyperbaric lignocaine (Xylocaine), it was decided to attempt a controlled comparison with 1:200 cinchocaine (Nupercaine) in order to assess its potency. Preliminary trials with 1 per cent and 2+ per cent solutions had not proved rewarding.