Anaesthetics Afloat

摘要

This is a compact little book by a naval officer who is also a physician. He views his subject as an expert anesthetist and writes with the punch of a Navy man. While he discusses the advantages of a wide variety of anesthetic agents, he also warns of their contraindications. The same is true of complications and treatment. He does not leave the reader dangling, puzzled over some emergency that might arise. The simple tests for tolerance of the anesthetics available to men on board ship are lucidly set forth. This latter section provides a terse refresher outline of value to any anesthetist. As the anestetist Dr. Woolmer states: "The path of anesthesia is liberally supplied with sign posts and land marks. A sound knowledge of these signs and a cool head should be sufficient to ensure successful anesthesia." As the Navy officer he picturesquely tells us: "To give a good gas to a tough sailor is one of the most difficult tasks in anesthesia. The inexperienced anesthetist faced with this problem resorts all too often to asphyxia on the theory of 'the tougher, the blacker.' . . . This replacement (nitrous oxide for nitrogen in the blood plasma) takes time, so that 'the tougher, the slower' should be the guiding principle."