ANAESTHETIC FATALITY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2167, 16 April 1908, Page 2

ANAESTHETIC FATALITY

MRS. HOLDER, MATAWHERO, EXPIRES WHILE UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Some consternation was felt in the town yesterday, when tho nows becanio known that Mrs. J. B. Hollier, wife of tho licensee of tho Bridgo Hotel at Mutawhoro, had expired in Mr. It. G. Crawford’s dental surgery while an anaesthotic was being administered for tho purpose of allowing eight teeth to be painlassly extracted. Mrs Hollier came into town yesterday and during tho afternoon, in company with Mrs. Lucas, consulted Mr. Crawford about her teeth. Mr. Crawford advised her 'to have them extracted, and Mrs. Hollier suggested that gas should bo administered. Mr. Crawford told her that ho could not take all tho teeth out at one time while she was under gas, and Mrs. Hollier suggested that Dr. Collins should be sent for and chloroform administered, adding that Dr. Collins was her family doctor. Mr. Crawford immediately -telephoned Dr. Collins, who at once attended. After tho usual examination, he proceeded to administer the chloroform, and within forty seconds ho noticed that the patient showed signs of collapse. Dr. Collins at once applied restoratives, and the patient rallied a little, but again became eomarose. The doctor, with Mr. Crawford and Mrs-Lucas, set to work to restore the heart’s action, and Dr. Pottinger was telephoned for, but all to no avail, and death quickly followed. Dr. Collins at once reported the matter to the police, and tho body was removed to the Coronation Hotel. An inquest will ho hold at the Courthouse by Mr. W. A. Barton, District Coroner, at 2.o’clock to-day. STATEMENT BY DR. COLLINS.

A “Times” reporter called upon Dr. Collins at his consulting rooms for somo particulars of the accident. Mi E. G. Crawford, the dentist, was also present, and -tho following statements were mado: — Mr. Crawford’s statement was as follows: “Mrs. Hollier came to my rooms yesterday, and asked to have a number of teeth drawn under gas. I told her that I could not extract all the teoth at one operation under gas, and Mrs. Hollier suggested that Dr. Collins should administer chloroform, adding that Dr. Collins had been tho family doctor for years. 1 then telephoned for Dr. Collins, and ■mado ready for the. operation.” Dr. Collins’ statement was: “I received a telephone message to call at Mr. Crawford’s surgery and administer an anaesthetic to a patient. When I arirved I found it was Mrs. Hollier, whom I had attended on various occasions. I examined her heart, and saw no indication why chloroform should not be given with safety. I had just started to administer the anaesthotic when Sirs. Hollier showed signs of collapse. Mrs. Lucas, of tho Coronation Hotel, and Mr. Crawford were also in the room. I can conscientiously say that the patient was not unconscious when the change in condition came, and it was long before everything was ready for the operation. I saw the change was Quo to heart failure, and at once did everything to restore tho heart’s action. Mrs. Lucas and myself worked hard in every way. The heart ceased to beat, and Dr. Pottinger was telephoned for. He camo at once, and assisted in an endeavor to restore animation. Everything was done that could be done, but Mrs. Hollier never recovered, but died from cardiac inhibition or heart paralysis. lat once reported the matter to the police. Mr. Hollier told mo after the accident that on a previous occasion when his wifo had chloroform she very nearly died, but I was not aware of this before I administered the anaesthetic.”

THE USE OF- ANAESTHETICS.

Anaesthetics are, in surgical practice, divided into two classes, local, those which are sprayed upon or. injected into a particular part of the body to produce loss of sense of feeliaig, and general, those that produce general insensibility . over the whole body. Chloroform ether, -and the A.O.E. mixture (a combination of alcohol, chloroform, and ether) are ■of the latter class. Ether is generally regarded as the safest of anaesthetics, and a recent issue of the “Medical News” gives the number of deaths wliilo under its influence as only one in 16,667 cases.' Ether has, however, great disadvantages. _ It causes the patient to become violent, increases the flow of saliva and mucus from the nose, and being unsuitable to dental operations, is not often used. It is also unpleasant to take. Chloroform, on the other hand, is easy 'to take, has seldom any unpleasant effect upon the patient, and if tho heart is normally healthy is safe; only one death occurring in every 4000 administrations. As to tho incidence of danger while under chloroform, Dr. Dudley Buxton, an eminent anaesthetist, states that “the strong and athletic are, iif anything, more liable to accident than the feeble. No age or temperament is free from possible peril, nor can it be accepted as truth that a person, who has many times taken chloroform with impunity, therefore enjoys an immunity from its risks.” Tho same authority states that failure of the heart may occur at the commencement of the administration, that is after two or three inhalations of tho vapour. Cases of sudden death during administration have been known to have been provoked by fear.