On the injection of ammonia into the circulation : being a paper read before the Medical Society of Victoria, April 7th, 1869 / by George B. Halford.

  • Halford, George Britton, 1824-1910.
Date:
[1869]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the injection of ammonia into the circulation : being a paper read before the Medical Society of Victoria, April 7th, 1869 / by George B. Halford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    pulse small and slow, breathing also slow, a complete state of stupor ; if support?was withdrawn the patient sank to the floor. I injected fifteen drops of Liquor Ammonise into the median vein of the injured arm. In a few minutes she became violently excited, laughing, crying, singing, biting, and throwing herself about so much as to require two persons to restrain her.” The same girl was bitten the next day by another snake. How- ever singular this may seem, Dr. Barnett has assured himself of the fact, and‘it does not become so incredible when the father of the child killed twenty-seven snakes on the premises and in the garden. The spot was formerly known as “ Snake Hill.” Dr. Barnett speak- ing of the second bite, continues, “ I found no symptoms of poison present. There was a wound on the last phalanx of the ring-finger of the left-hand, which I washed with a solution of Ammonia, and, as a matter of precaution, injected fifteen drops into a vein at the elbow ; but wishing to test the efficacy of the injection, I adminis- tered nothing whatever internally. In ten minutes the same train of symptoms set in as occurred yesterday, but not so violently.” The case at Mornington, concerning which Dr. Lane writes to me of “ the excited delight which he felt at the satisfactory result,” was witnessed by my friend and colleague, Mr. W. P. Wilson, the learned professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in our University. He thus wrote me on the evening of the accident. “ On Mr. Lane’s arrival he made an incision in the skin of the right arm above the elbow, and injected 10 minims of Liq. Ammon. Fort., and 20 of water into a large vein. The pupils which previously were nearly insensible to light,instantly contracted and expanded on opening and closing the eyelids. The pulse remained tolerably steady at from 84 to 90. The injection of the Ammonia was followed by a motion of the eyelids, an opening and shutting of the eyes, a wild rolling of the eyeballs, and afterwards by a spasmodic action of the left arm and right leg which increased so that the arm required all a man’s strength to hold it. He understood what was said so as to put out his tongue when told to do so. The expression of his countenance was more intelligent than pre viously.” The next case is that reported by Messrs. Stillman and Heu- shall, chemists of Seymour, who say:—“ The boy was evidently sinking, the extremities being icy cold. The effect of the injection was instantaneous. The patient from a state of stupor at once rallied and the wound in the foot bled afresh.” I have been careful to get all the particulars of this very striking case. Messrs. Stillman and Henshall thus wrote further to me . lliere can be no doubt in our minds of the perfect efficacy of youi discovery, and also that this was a case of snake-bite pushed to the last extremity. ’ The manner of operating was sub- sequently furnished to me by Mr. Henshall. \ou can rely that the vein of the arm was opened, and the nozzle ol the syringe inserted into the vein, also that the Ammonia was injected into the cavity of the vein and passed up-