Æther

Authorities. 42, W. H. Hewitt, Lancet, 1847 (1), p. 239, Jemima S., let. nineteen years, inhaled it for six or seven minutes for the purpose of having a tooth extracted ; 43, Anne C., set. fourteen years, inhaled it two minutes for the same purpose; 44, R. Stewart, ibid., p. 397, death of a woman after the third inhalation ; 45, M. Cardan, ibid., p. 411, effects on a woman in the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy ; 46, Berridge, Organon, vol. ii, 1879, p. 260, a man, mt. twenty years, inhaled pure Ether.

Mind

Hysterical (after first inhalation)

Hysteria preceded the insensibility, and occurred at intervals during the day,^l

Disorderly hilarity

On recovering, she exclaimed Oh, why did you take me from that beautiful place? Let me go back. Oh! how beautiful I It is heaven!” and a variety of other rapturous expressions, evidently showing that she had had a dream, and was unconscious of any operation having been performed upon her,^l

When recovering, on asking her why she had kept the mouth so tightly shut, she said she had had a dream, and thought she was drowning, and that somebody was forcibly trying to open her mouth

Insensibility

Head p. 518

Headache for many hours (after second inhalation),‘‘f

Eyes p. 518

Power of vision lost (after second in halation),‘‘f

Generalities p. 518

After ten or twelve respirations, the infant made some struggles and convulsive movements, very painful to the mother ; these movements became more violent, and succeeded each other with greater rapidity, in proportion as the Ether became absorbed ; but as the mother grew insensible at the same time, she evinced only a vague kind of consciousness. When the mother recovered herself from the effects of the Ether, she Complained of pain in the uterine region, such as might arise from blows and bruises

The heart of the foetus beat with extreme rapidity, so that the individual pulsations could scarcely be distinguished ; it might be said, indeed, to be in constant tremor. The rapidity of the pulsations appeared to be in pretty direct relation to the motions or struggles of the child. The placental bruit lost its simple character, and took place in fits, which varied according as the struggles of the foetus were more or less rapid

Faintness and apprehension at once