Mercur Miner | 1905-09-13 | Page 6 | Phosgene

riimgrnr. The use of ether as nn anaesthetic In (he presence of n gas llnmo Is dangerous dan-gerous becnuse of Its Inflammability. Under the snme clrcumstnnces clilnro form is even more to be nvolded, owing to n renctlon between the chloroform vnpor nnd tho products of the cas flnme, which result In n highly poisonous poison-ous substnnco known ns phosgene. This poison cnuses xcrlous changes in the blood, degeneration of various Internal organs, nnd Its Inhnlntlou Is attended by n sense of suffocation, In sovero cases where chloroform has been used In the presonce of n gas llamo or gas heater, the subject of the operation, ns well ns several of the attendants, at-tendants, In ono ense n Sister of t'hnr-Ity, t'hnr-Ity, In another n nurse, subsequently died ns tho result of phosgene poisoning. poison-ing. The wholo questli. i has recently been investigated by Professor d'Ursor of tho University of Messina, says Dr. K. V. dishing. In tho New York Medical Med-ical Journal, with tho result that nil lonns of open combustion, gns lights gas stoves, open fires of coal or wood, etc., nro tabooed In tho operating loom, which should be heated either by stonm or hot water and lighted by electricity.