THE EFFECT OF GENERAL ANAESTHETIC AGENTS ON NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITIES

Nerve conduction velocity has been studied in the ulnar nerveof human subjects before and during anaesthesia. No significantchanges in velocity were observed following the administrationof thiopentone, nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane in normalclinical quantities. A transient increase in nerve conductionvelocity was noted following the administration of paralyticdoses of gallamine triethiodide to subjects receiving nitrousoxide, oxygen and halothane anaesthesia in whom ventilationwas controlled.