CHLOROFORM IN MIDWIFERY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 106, 17 February 1950, Page 4

CHLOROFORM IN MIDWIFERY

SUPPORT BY B.M.A. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 16. The use of chloroform in obstetrics has been discussed by a combined meeting of obstetricians, gynaecologists, and anaesthetists during the British Medical Association conference. It unanimously adopted a resolution that: “Chloorform has a valuable place as an anaesthetic m obstetrics and recommends that its use be taught in the Dominion’s obstetric training hospitals.” Dr. T. F. Corkill (Wellington) reported on a personally conducted series of 10,000 cases in -which chloroform had been used without a fatality. He said that, -though chloroform had various contra-indications, it provided,, when properly used by experienced obstetricians, better pain relief in labour than any other drug at presenavailable. Chloroform was still used in many large clinics abroad, and there seemed to be a turning back to its use in obstetrics in England and Australia. Dr S. C. Peddie (Christchurch) said that from the anaesthetist’s point of view there were certain dangers inherent in the use of chloroform, as in other anaesthetic drugs, but he considered it had a definite place in midwifery and was still the best anaesthetic in most cases.