118 YETERIXARY MATERIA MEDICA. 



CEREBRAL DEPRESSANTS. 



Alcohol and Its Preparations. 



An alcohol may be defined as being a volatile or- 

 ganic compound of an organic radical and hydroxyl 

 (HO), containing no N, having great affinity for wa- 

 ter, and reacting with acids to form H^O and ethers. 

 An alcohol is obtained by distillation from the fer- 

 mented product of grape sugar or other substance, 

 such as starch, which ma)^ be readily converted into 

 grape sugar. This fermented product, in the presence 

 and by the growth of certain low vegetable organisms 

 (the yeast plant, etc.), splits up into alcohol and CO^. 

 The most important alcohols are : 



1. Methylic Alcohol — CH^O — methyl hydrate, 

 wood spirit. 



2. Etliylic Alcohol — C^HgO — ethyl hydrate, grain 

 spirit. 



3. Amylic Alcohol — C^H^.O — amyl hydrate, potato 

 spirit, fusel oil. 



When speaking of " alcohol " medicinally or phar- 

 maceuticall}^ the ethyl hydrate or grain spirit is the 

 one referred to (see Alcohol or Rectified Spirit below). 



The Official Preparations of Alcohol are : 

 Alcohol Absolutum, spiritus absolutus, absolute 

 alcohol, is ethyl alcohol containing not more than one 

 per cent, by weight of water. It is a mobile, color- 

 less, volatile liquid, having a spirituous odor and an 

 intensely burning taste. Specific gravity, 0.797 at 

 60° F. 



