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Medinal-Luminal Prolonged Narcosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2018

R. S. Wilson
Affiliation:
Warwickshire and Coventry Mental Hospital
S. W. Gillman
Affiliation:
Warwickshire and Coventry Mental Hospital

Extract

Despite the modifications introduced at Cardiff (1, 2, 3), somnifaine prolonged narcosis remains a dangerous procedure (4, 5), and we had hitherto thought that the method could only be made perfectly safe by reducing the dose below a level which is therapeutically valuable. Witt and Cheavens (6), followed by Day (7), have, however, used a medinal-luminal mixture with apparent safety and with good results, and we have followed their technique in 60 cases. A mixture containing medinal 5 gr. and luminal 1 gr. in each drachm is used. The first dose is 2 drm., which is repeated 4-hourly till sleep occurs; thereafter 1 drm. is given as required. The usual methods of nursing are adopted (3, 4), and Day claimed that narcosis could be continued for as long as 78 days with a gain in weight of from 5 to 30 lb.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1938 

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References

1 Ström-Olsen, .—Journ. Ment. Sci., 1933, lxxix, p. 638.Google Scholar
2 Ström-Olsen, and McCowan, .—Journ. Ment. Sci., 1934, lxxx, p. 658.Google Scholar
3 Hennelly, .—Journ. Ment. Sci., 1936, lxxxii, p. 608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4 Parfitt, .—Lancet, 1936, i, p. 424.Google Scholar
5 Palmer, .—Journ. Ment. Sci., 1937, lxxxiii, p. 636.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 Witt, and Cheavens, .—Texas State Journ. Med., 1934, xxx, p. 517.Google Scholar
7 Day, .—Texas State Journ. Med., 1936, xxxii, p. 417.Google Scholar
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