For thousands of years doctors have searched for a drug that could eliminate or at least ease the pain of surgery. Though the coca plant was well-known for more than 3000 years, it was not until the middle of the 18th century that the initial isolation of the organic base responsible for its extraordinary properties, cocaine, was accomplished. To the ophthalmologist Carl Koller goes the credit ...

Repair of inguinal hernia is widely regarded as a simple procedure, requiring no great surgical skill. Published recurrence rates are high, indicating that there is need for improvement in technique. This paper gives details of a satisfactory method which uses local anaesthesia.

Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) surgery has still continued to be the gold standard among the surgical treatments applied for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), today [1]. TURP operations, it is more commonly preferred compared to general anaesthesia since it allows the early diagnosis of negativities such as regional anaesthesia fluid loading, bladder perforation, and TURP Sydrome....

Editor—We read the report by van Zundert and colleagues with great interest and also believe that regional anaesthesia is a good option for laparascopic cholecystectomy in patients with severe pulmonary disease. We also would like to share our experience with a 38-year-old patient with scleroderma requiring laparoscopic cholecystectomy for recurrent cholecystitis. She had a 9-year history of sc...

Background: Local anaesthesia relies on studied case comfort, safety, & low complication rates. Nature of proposed surgery, surgeon's preference, case's wishes all influence anaesthetic necessities for ophthalmic

Ross, M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.S.E., Lecturer in Practical Anaesthetics, University of Edinburgh. Hon. Anaesthetist, Edinburgh Dental School. With an Introduction by H. Alexis Thomson, C.M.G., M.D., F.R.C.S.E., and chapters upon Local and Spinal Anaesthesia by W. Quarry Wood, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., and upon Intratracheal Anaesthesia by H. Torrance Thomson, M.D. Second Edition. Pp. 328. Edinburgh : E. & S....

The design of anaesthesia equipment for use in hospitals in the developing world must take into account the local conditions, particularly whether reliable supplies of compressed oxygen and electricity are available. Designs should ensure that maintenance is feasible locally. International standards should encourage the design of suitable equipment to ensure safe anaesthesia for patients worldw...

A prospective study was carried out to estimate the incidence and severity of ptosis following cataract extraction and trabeculectomy. A postoperative ptosis of 2 mm or more was found in 6.2% of all cases. In this series the incidence of ptosis following surgery under local anaesthesia was greater than that under general anaesthesia. The aetiology and management of this complication are discussed.