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34:2 • DENTAL MEDICINE.
becomes embarrassed, the lower jaw should be pulled or pushed
from behind the angles, forward, so that the lower teeth protrude
in front of the upper. This raises the epiglottis and frees the
larynx. At the same time it is well to assist the respiration arti-
ficially till the embarrassment passes off. If, by any accident the
respiration stops, artificial respiration should be commenced at
once, while an assistant lowers the head and draws forward the
tongue with catch forceps, by Howard's method, assisted by
compression and relaxation of the thoracic walls. Artificial
respiration should be continued till there is no doubt whatever
that natural respiration is completely reestablished. A small dose
of morphia may be injected subcutaneously before chloroform in-
halation, as it helps to keep the patient in a state of anaesthesia in
prolonged operation. There is nothing to show that atropine
does any good in connection with the administration of chloro-
form, and it may do much harm. Alcohol may be given with
much advantage before operations under chloroform, provided it
does not cause excitement, and merely has the effect of giving a
patient confidence and steadying the circulation. And it is the
opinion of the Commission that " if the above rules be followed,
chloroform may be given in any case requiring an operation,
with perfect ease and absolute safety, so as to do good without
the risk of evil."
In operations on the mouth the chloroform vapor may be ad-
ministered by passing a soft catheter into the nose and by means
of a hand-bulb, or Junker inhaler and thus force the vapor into
the post-nasal spaces.
[For the Administration of Anaesthetics, Dangers of Anaes-
thesia, Preventive Measures, and Treatment of Dangerous
Symptoms, the reader is referred to the article on Sulphuric
Ether.]
Therapeutic Uses.—Besides its use as a general anaesthetic agent,
chloroform is internally administered in substance, as an anodyne
and antispasmodic, for non-inflammatory affections, such as
nausea and vomiting, seasickness, sick headache, flatulent colic,
intermittent fevers, and in cholera, for which it is very efiicicnt.
The vapor is employed for the relief of hay asthma, whooping-