Abdominal Section

This patient, who had been operated on for pyosalpinx in April 1911 came back to hospital with a large ventral hernia. The abdominal section done on 13th December, 1912, was for the cure of the hernia. This was the first case done at this hospital with intravenous ether anaesthesia. The apparatus used was Rood's Apparatus for Infusion Anaesthesia (Meyer & Meltzer ?6-18-G). Five minutes before starting the anaesthetic, half a grain ofbetaeucain hydro-chloride in solution was injected into the right forearm and the ulnar vein opened. This vein was selected as the median was concealed from view by subcutaneous fat. Dr. Rood's apparatus was employed, a 5 per cent, solution of ether in normal saline, well shaken up before use and heated to a temperature of 100? F., being infused. The conjunctival reflexes vanished after some ten minutes. The flow was turned full on to begin with and until rather more than half a pint of the mixture had entered the vein. The flow was then re-