164 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIV. No. 867 



The quality of ethers on the market de- 

 pend upon, first, the purity or grade of the 

 alcohol used; and second, secondary reac- 

 tions which take place not only with im- 

 purities in the alcohol, but with ethyl alco- 

 hol itself. For example, ethyl ether made 

 from ethyl alcohol denatured with methyl 

 alcohol contained other ethers, as dimethyl 

 oxide or methyl-ethyl ether, not found in 

 the ether made from the old rectified 

 spirit. The liberal interpretation of the 

 Denatured Alcohol Act by our govern- 

 ment officials, whereby alcohol denatured 

 by ether itself may now be used, .elimi- 

 nated these substances. Many of the im- 

 purities traceable not only to the quality 

 of the raw products used, but the second- 

 ary reactions due to their virgin im- 

 purities, as variations in temperature, 

 pressure, and other conditions, were re- 

 movable, and have, in a large measure, 

 been removed or much reduced, by subse- 

 quent pvirification. 



The specific gravity of ether intended 

 for anesthesia should not exceed 0.720 at 

 15° C, providing an ether containing 

 minimum quantities of alcohol and mois- 

 ture is required; however, an ether which 

 shows a specific gravity of 0.7215 (2 per 

 cent, absolute alcohol), 0.7228 (3 per 

 cent, absolute alcohol), or even 0.724 

 (4 per cent, absolute alcohol), providing 

 the sole "impurity" is ethyl alcohol, is 

 acceptable for anesthetic purposes accord- 

 ing to variou-S pharmacopoeias. 



In this connection it may be stated that 

 for various reasons a pure ether may be 

 diluted with ethyl alcohol when it is to 

 be used for anesthesia. Impurities then 

 observed may be due in part to the alco- 

 hol used in dilution. Practically all ethyl 

 alcohol contains some acetaldehyde. 



Ethyl alcohol serves, it is asserted, as a 



French Patent 352,687, of 1905, of Lance and 

 Elworthy) . 



preservative for ether when the latter is 

 properly stored; and small amounts inter- 

 fere in no way with the application of 

 ether in anesthesia. However, the pres- 

 ence of alcohol is unnecessary except when 

 ether is administered by the "drop 

 method." In this case, the presence of 

 alcohol prevents too rapid volatilization 

 and consequent chilling of the apparatus 

 with which the ether is administered. 

 Some have maintained that pure ethyl 

 ether is unsuitable for anesthesia, but it 

 is a fact that the vapor from ether con- 

 taining alcohol, when passed through 

 water at 40° C, whereby the alcohol is re- 

 moved, may be and is being used with 

 great success for anesthesia. The pres- 

 ence of excess moisture should be guarded 

 against in the storage of ether, since ether 

 in contact with water or moist air gives 

 rise to various impurities of an objection- 

 able nature. Thus anesthetic ether of 

 proper grade when prepared may develop 

 impurities to be avoided quite as much as 

 if they had been introduced in the orig- 

 inal materials or later produced in the 

 manufacture or added in the preparation 

 for distribution in commerce. 



Instances of sophistication have been 

 known, but now they are comparatively 

 rare. 



Dr. Davis, of the Johns Hopkins Hos- 

 pital, has made observations on the tem- 

 peratures of a number of patients an- 

 esthetized with ethyl ether by the "drop 

 method" and by warm vapors of ether. 

 In the former the body temperature 

 dropped 1 to 2° F., and in the latter not 

 more than 0.3° F. in any case. 



Ether, when freshly distilled over 

 sodium, possesses a specific gravity of 

 0.7178 to 0.719 at 15°/4° C. ; but if it is 

 not, immediately after its rectification, 

 drawn off into vessels, which are at once 

 sealed and carefully stored, the specific 



