274 INORGANIC AGENTS 



Administration. — Veterinary practitioners are fortunately 

 exempt from any moral considerations in relation to their 

 medicinal use of alcoliol. Rum, gin and whiskey are more 

 commonly employed than the other alcoholic prepara- 

 tions, although diluted alcohol is practically as valuable. 

 Gin is indicated when a diuretic action is important. 

 Brandy, being more astringent, is given to dogs with diar- 

 rhoea, and, combined with cracked ice in small quantities, 

 relieves vomiting. Sherry may also be administered to dogs 

 with advantage. The dose of the various alcoholic liquids 

 depends upon the quantity of alcohol contained in them. 



Animals will usually take alcoholic preparations volun- 

 tarily if largely diluted with water, milk or gruel. Whiskey 

 should be diluted with about 4 parts of water when given in 

 drench, unless the reflex action is desired, when it is admin- 

 istered in considerable doses with an equal amount of hot 

 water. 



Diluted alcohol, undiluted whiskey or brandy are 

 injected subcutaneously when a rapid action is imperative. 



^THER. Ether. (C,H,),0. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — ^ther purus, B. P. ; aether fortior, pure 

 ether, E.; ether hydrique pur, Fr.; reiner aether, G. 



A liquid composed of about 96 per cent., by weight, of 

 absolute ether or ethyl oxide l(C^'H.^)JJ], and about 4 per 

 cent, of alcohol containing a little water. 



Derivation. — Obtained by distillation of alcohol with 

 sulphuric acid. There are two steps in the production of 

 ether ; sulphovinic acid and water are formed in the first 

 step, H,S O, + C, H,0 H - C, H„ H S O, + H, O. Sul- 

 phovinic acid is then further acted upon by alcohol. 



C,H„ H S O, -h C,H„ O H = (C,H,), O 4- H,S O,. The 

 distillate is freed from water by agitation with calcium oxide 

 and chloride, and subjected to redistillation. 



Properties. — A transparent, colorless, mobile liquid, 

 having a characteristic odor and a burning and sweetish 



