[Origins of the rachial administration of cocaine in Spain]. / Orígenes de la raquicocainización en España.

The use of a rachidial pathway for the obtaining of anaesthesia has been the consequence of two events: The discovering of cocaine by Köller and the description made by Corning of the intraspinal passage. If we add to it the attempt to avoid side-effects from ether and chloroform, we find, at the beginning of the century, an enormous increase in the use of the intrarrachidial technique. In the present work, we endeavour to trace the origins of this technique in Spain as well as exposing it and the most outstanding results.

[Intra-arterial regional anesthesia]. / La anestesia regional intraarterial.

One of the most easy and effective ways for obtaining insensibility at the extremities, with a minimal danger for the patients, is the intravenous regional anesthesia. However, the origin of this type of anesthesia still remains controversial. Some of the questions suggested by this theme are answered in this article. It is very likely that the basis of this technique were established by Dr. José Goyanes Capdevila, who by the beginning of this century was a lecturer in Surgery at Madrid's University. It must be considered that he used the arterial pathway following the anatomical and physiological criteria in use then.

[Spinal anesthesia using a strychnine-stovaine combination in Spain]. / La raqui-estrieno-estovainización en España.

Since, in 1898, Augustus Bier developed the injection of anesthetic agents in the intradural space following Corning's technique, there have been many changes in the technique to the present day. One of the most popular was rachi-striene-stovainization, which was introduced by Jonnesco and attempted to replace general anesthesia (general rachianesthesia). We describe the original technique, its development and the modifications introduced by two Spanish physicians, Drs. Sagarra and Bartrina. We also discuss its advantages and drawbacks.