URETHANE 387 



stimulates their motor centres. Frohner has given it to 

 horses, cattle, and sheep without observing any definite 

 hypnotic effect. Large doses (150 to 200 grammes), he 

 states, produce in horses excitement, muscular trembling, 

 spasmodic movements, paresis of the spinal cord and 

 muscles, and are excreted uncombined in the urine. Death 

 is caused by haemorrhagic ulcerative gastro-enteritis. He 

 records that, while 0'5 gramme per kilogramme of body- 

 weight killed horses and cattle, dogs stood one gramme 

 per kilogramme of body- weight. Horses and cattle re- 

 ceiving 25 to 75 grammes suffered from weakness and 

 trembling, but without narcosis ; sleepiness was apparent 

 for a day, but was alternated with greatly increased reflex 

 activity, and even with fits, while numbness sometimes lasted 

 a week. 



DOSES, etc. Horses take 3J V - to SJ- m electuary or in 

 mash. A dose of sulphonal is sometimes given thirty 

 minutes before casting a nervous horse for operation. 

 Dogs may be given grs. x. to grs. xl., in pill, hot milk, or 

 soup. To ensure hypnosis a couple of doses should be 

 given, at intervals of two or three hours. 



URETHANE or ethyl carbamate (C 3 H 7 N0 2 ), introduced 

 as a hypnotic for man, occurs in brilliant prismatic crystals, 

 having a faint odour of paraffin and a salt taste ; very 

 soluble in water, alcohol, and ether. Applied to the tissues 

 urethane exerts no appreciable action, but after absorption, 

 moderate doses produce in the dog drowsiness, followed by 

 sleep more or less profound. Old dogs, however, are not 

 easily brought under the influence of this drug, and accord- 

 ing to Frohner, horses, even after receiving large doses 

 (2 to 15 ounces) appear to be quite insusceptible to its hyp- 

 notic action. In dogs toxic doses (800 grains) cause tran- 

 sient general excitement, followed by deep sleep, during 

 which the reflexes disappear, the heart's impulse weakens, 

 temperature falls, respiration becomes gradually slower, 

 then stops, and death takes place by asphyxia. Urethane 

 may be prescribed as a hypnotic for dogs suffering from 

 painful wounds, fractures, and nervous diseases accompanied 

 by agitation, vertigo, or convulsions. It is a functional 

 antagonist of strychnine (Coze). Sleep induced by urethane 



