ANÆSTHETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 5

ANÆSTHETICS.

QUESTION OF ADMINISTERING THEM. At a coronial inquiry at Melbourne recently into tho circumstances attending the death of John M'Neil, who collapsed and died while undergoing an operation for serious abdominal inflammation at tho Melbourne General Hospital, attention was directed to the question, as to whether there\should bo a skilled resident anaesthetist, at tho hospital. Dr. Rupert Horuabrook said ho did not think it tair that resident doctors at hospitals should 1» compelled to ' give an anaesthetic in a case like tho one before the Court. There should bo a skilled resident anaesthetist ot tho hospital. Anaesthetics should not bo given.in cases like this one without a senior standing by. Young fellows should have a man with more experience to watch them, for their own sake and for tho sake of the public. Anaesthetic work should be more respected. All eases where death occurred after an anaesthetic has been given should be reported to tho police, although not necessarily for public inquiry. Dr. C. H. Mollison said that Tie did not think a skilled anaesthetist at the Melbourne Hospital would bo practicable. It would involve too much expense. It was desirable, though, he thought, that all cases of death under anaesthetics should bo reported. ' The coroner said that the recommendations of witnesses as to tho anaesthetist should be brought under the notice of the Chief Secretary. Apparently there was a feeling among medical men that the anaesthetist was not as necessary as some might think. A senior rcsident'anaesthctist should administer in anaesthetic cases whore an immediate operation was necessary, and that admitted of no delny. The hospitals were for the benefit of the public, and were maintained rby {ho public, and there should bo a' resident skilled anaesthetist. Tho responsibility was too Kreat for honorary officers. In this particular cass there was no reason tn think that anything was done that, should not have been done. Regarding the reporting of cases', there seemed to be a reluctance on tho part of medical men. They thought public inquiries might cause feelings of uneasiness in the interests of all concerned. Every death should be reported to the coroner. He found that in the case being inquired into the anaesthetic was necessary, and was given without negligence.