ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF THE METHYL COMPOUNDS. 183 
On Methylic Ether in Ethylic Ether—To obtain a very quickly acting and 
safe anzesthetic fluid I saturated common ether with methylic ether. A very 
agreeable but, of course, unstable fluid was in this way obtained. After nar- 
-cotizing several animals with this compound, I allowed my friends Dr. Sedg- 
wick and Mr. Marshall to subject me to it on the 20th of May of this year. 
The vapour caused no irritation, and I was, I learn from Dr, Sedgwick’s 
note, “well off” in one minute, the pulse rising from 70 to 96, At first the 
respiration was slightly sobbing, two or, three rapid inspirations being fol- 
lowed by two or three similar expirations. There was no change of colour in 
the face, and no coldness. After being insensible for seventy seconds, I 
awoke sufticiently to speak to my friends, but I do not remember the circum- 
stance, and I am reported to have fallen off quietly to sleep again, after moving 
from the chair in which I was sitting to a couch, on which I lay down. 
Here I slept very quietly, with easy breathing, for at least two minutes, and 
then I awoke with slight sobbing, followed by a violent and irrepressible fit 
of laughter. Recovery was rapid, indeed instantaneous, after this, and was 
unattended by any one disagreeable symptom ; there was no vomiting, no 
nausea, no headache ; indeed in five minutes I was following my occupations 
‘as if nothing had interfered with them. 
In order to see the extreme effect of methylic ether, I allowed a guinea- 
pig, when profoundly narcotized, to remain in an atmosphere holding 15 per 
cent. of the gas. The animal continued to breathe easily for nine minutes in 
this atmosphere, then the breathing became irregular, and at fourteen 
minutes it stopped. I now removed the animal into pure air at 75°, and on 
examining the heart I found that organ beating steadily, and with the sounds 
most distinct. I continued to watch for restoration of breathing, and four 
minutes and twenty-three seconds afterwards observed a slight movement of 
breathing ; in two or three seconds more these movements were repeated, in 
‘another minute there were sixteen inspirations in forty-five seconds, and the 
animal in the end recovered rapidly and soundly, with nothing worse than 
a slight shivering. In this experiment there was the longest complete sus- 
pension of respiration in a warm-blooded animal I have ever seen, followed 
by recovery. 
In a further series of experiments I allowed pigeons, rabbits, and guinea- 
pigs to sleep to death in methylic ether. In all cases the respiration ceased 
before the heart stopped its rhythmical pulsation, and in every case there 
was found after death slight congestion of the lungs, blood on both sides of 
the heart, and blood on the arterial side darkened in colour. In no case did 
spasmodic action precede death. 
In recording the phenomena induced by the inhalation of methylic ether, 
we cannot but be struck with an analogous action between it and nitrous 
oxide or laughing-gas. Like nitrous oxide it acts quickly, and its effects 
quickly pass away, but it does not produce the same degree of asphyxia, and 
it acts when freely diluted with air. 
MerTHYLAL. 
Another substance which promised to be a good agent was methylal. The 
composition of methylal is C,H, 9O,; its specific gravity is 0-855, and its 
vapour density is 38. It was made for me by Dr. F. Versmann. It is made 
by distilling methylic alcohol and sulphuric acid with peroxide of manganese. 
It is a clear fluid, boiling at 108° F., and having a sweet ethereal odour. It 
is soluble in water as well as in ether and alcohol. 
In the vapour of methylal animals pass into sleep gently and slowly with 
