- M 47-
(a) Anaesthetics.
A full time Government Anaesthetist is employed and the number of anaesthetics administered by this officer and by other Government Medical Officers is detailed below:--
Table XVI.
Government Anaesthetist Other Medical Officers Total Government Civil Hospital... 300 172 472 Kowloon Hospital 341 970 1,311 Queen Mary Hospital 504 281 785 Victoria Hospital 84 18 102 Total 1,229 1,441 2,670The various agents used in anaesthetising patients by the Government Anaesthetist are given in the following table:-
Table XVII.
Chloroform 34 Ether-alone or with ethyl chloride 537 Ether-with evipan 87 Evipan 226 Nitrous oxide and oxygen 88 Pentothal sodium 225 Spinal 25 Other methods 7 Total 1,229Ether remains the most commonly used anaesthetic in major surgery in Hong Kong. Evipan is, however, extensively employed for minor operative procedures and for induction in nervous patients.
The use of spinal anaesthesia has increased greatly and has proved most satisfactory. A six per centum solution of freshly prepared novocaine has given uniformly good results; but the anaesthesia produced can only be relied upon to last for about