On certain peculiarities of action of aconite and opium : with some general observations on the treatment of narcotic poisoning : (illustrated by the history of two cases) / by John Ellis Blake.

  • Blake, John Ellis.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On certain peculiarities of action of aconite and opium : with some general observations on the treatment of narcotic poisoning : (illustrated by the history of two cases) / by John Ellis Blake. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    thereabouts (for naturally it is hard, in such an emergency, to note exactly time), we were in face of the following situation : We could, it is true, maintain a sort of respiration even through the worst of the “ waves ” or crises, yet they showed no abatement either in frequency or duration. The body was becoming quite cold, no higher temperature being observed atthjs time, in the mouth, than between 95° and 96°, cyanosis marked, not only the face being darkly blue, but the same color being observable under the nails. Acting upon the happy inspiration of Dr. Thomas, who had tried with a good effect the administration of pure oxygen gas mingled with common air in the cyanosis of croup and pneumonia, a cylin- der of this gas had been procured, and we now proceeded to use it in the following way, which I will describe for the benefit of those to whom the process may be new :1 A small rubber-tube being connected directly with the copper reser- voir, the other end, terminated by a small nozzle, was in- serted in one nostril, leaving the other free to admit com- mon air. A small jet of gas being now permitted to es- cape, on closing the galvanic circuit the lungs were filled with this highly-oxygenated air. Keeping up artificial res- piration with this new powerful agent to help, good effects were soon seen in a lessening of the lividity of the face and lips, and a less corpse-like look generally. The amount ot oxygen used in this case was four hundred gallons. More than three hours we know, how much less than four we cannot fix accurately, from the time all pulse ceased, and nothing but a feeble, uncertain flutter could with difficulty be made out at times over the region of the heart, and after artificial respira- tion aided by oxygen had been maintained for about two hours, a feeble thrill at the wrist could, to our great joy, be detected. It was not much, it was not constant, but it was sometimes there, and that was a great source of hope. By 5 p. m. the patient was so far restored as to articulate a word or two feebly, and it was believed that the battery might now be stopped, and respiration trusted to Nature. This came near being a fatal error. Before 6 p. m. a crisis of unusual severity occurred, and, although both the battery and oxygen 1 Oxygen gas, W. E. Gladstone, No. 1291 Broadway. Open all night.