A 6-year-old boy fractured the neck of the lower jaw on one side. To make a diagnosis it was necessary to give an anesthetic. The boy had just eaten his dinner, so the anesthesia was put off three hours. After the dressing was completed vomiting occurred, emptying the stomach of the boy's meal. The food had become liquefied, however, and no damage came to the boy, because he succeeded in stretching the dressings sufficiently to let the mouth open.
The query is, what would have happened if the dressings had not stretched, and particularly if the anesthetic had been administered as soon as the accident occurred?
It would seem that a child under those circumstances would surely suffocate.