Dr. Richardson gave a lecture on Wednesday at the rooms
of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on the means of producing insensibility to pain locally,—local anass- thesia,—inatead of generally by chloroform, by means of ether spray. The general means,—inhalation of -chloroform, &c., are not easily applicable to animals,—the local means, by ether spray perfectly so, and he described several most painful operations performed on horses and dogs without the slightest sign of pain by means of it. He submitted his own arm to the ether spray, and then passed large needles through the benumbed parts with- out any suffering ; and Dr. Fraser, Mr. Ifocatta, and Mr. Gurney, had the same process applied to them with the same result. The ether process also diminishes inflammation by the same means by which it benumbs. Ether sold specially for veterinary purposes is prepared by Messrs. Robins and Co., of Oxford Street, at 4s. 6d. a pound, which is said to be enough for twenty operations. What a pity we could not produce local anmsthesia in the boroughs we are going to deprive of their seats! Reform would be be so much easier.
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