116 ANTIPYRETICS 



ACETANILIDUM AOETANILID 



Synonyms. Antifebrin, phenyl-acetanide 

 Acetanilid is prepared by the action of glacial acetic acid upon 

 analine, an atom of H in aniline being replaced by an acid radicle. 

 It occurs as a shining white powder or light shiny scales, soluble in 

 180 parts of water, freely soluble in alcohol (2.5 parts). 

 Preparations and Doses. 



Single doses Daily doses 



Horses and cattle 3 iv — viij ; 15 — 30. § jss — iv; 45. — 120. 



Sheep 3ij— iv;8— 15. 5iv— pj ; 15.— 30. 



Dogs gr. iv — XV ; 0.25 — 1. gr. viij — xxx; 0.5 — 2-. 



Cats gr. ij — v; 0.1 — 0.25. gr. iv — xv; 0.25 — 1. 



Pulvis Acetanilidum Compositus Compound acetanilid powder, 

 acetanilid 7, caffeine 1. Sodium bicarbonate 2. 



Incompatibles. Incompatible with caustic soda and potash, 

 and chloroform. 



External and Local Action. Acetanilid is an antiseptic, as- 

 tringent and hemostatic. 



Digestive System. There is no important action upon this 

 system. 



Circulatory System. This drug has been claimed as a cardiac 

 depressant in man because a few cases of collapse have followed 

 its use, but ordinary doses in experimental animals have no marked 

 effect upon the circulation. In fact, small doses may slightly quicken 



Acetanilid. 

 NaHCO.... 



Acetanilid. . 

 Acetanilid, 

 caffeine, 

 NaHCO. . . . 



Acetanilid, 

 caffeine . . . . 



Fig. 15. — Toxicity of acetanilid increased by caffeine, decreased by sodium bi- 

 carbonate. Experiments on mice by Worth Hale. The degree of toxicity is 

 represented by the length of the bars. 



(Reproduced, by permission, from Bastedo, Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 

 Published by W. B. Saunders Co.) 



the heart and strengthen the beat due to a direct action upon the 

 cardiac muscle, but in large doses the heart muscle is weakened, 

 slowed and irregular, causing collapse. The collapse action, how- 

 ever, is not marked and when it follows moderate doses should be 

 attributed to an idiosyncrasy. Caffeine has been added to acetanilid 

 in the hope of overcoming the depressant action upon the heart but 

 Worth Hale has shown that acetanilid is more toxic when adminis- 

 tered with caffeine but less toxic when given with sodium bicarbonate. 



