Years ago I was called to anesthetize a patient
who had developed mastoiditis in the course of
pneumonia. He was desperately ill, his heart
being in an especially alarming condition. The
surgeon asked me to give chloroform because of
the pneumonia. I mentioned the heart condition,
but he insisted that chloroform was the least of
evils. I said that a patient in the condition of this
one would not live through even induction with
chloroform. The reply was, "Well, what are we
to do ?" I suggested local. "No, impossible."
Nitrous oxid and oxygen? "No." At last in
desperation, I said, "I am sorry, but I must
refuse to act as executioner. Gas is the only general
anesthetic possible in his condition." Finally
the surgeon consented, and I gave nitrous oxid
and oxygen with the only apparatus then available-
a first-model Teeter machine with no pressure
control, with nitrous oxid cylinders holding
one hundred gallons, and oxygen cylinders with
a capacity of forty gallons. The operation required
two hours, and when it was finished I felt
years older; but the patient was alive and uninjured
by his anesthetic. What would an anesthetic
technician have done in this case?
