320 INORGANIC AGENTS ^ 



Animals will usually take alcoholic preparations voluntarily if 

 largely diluted with water, milk or gruel. Whisky should be diluted 

 with about 4 parts of water when given in drench, unless the reflex 

 action is desired, when it is administered in considerable doses with an 

 equal amount of hot water. 



Diluted alcohol, undiluted whisky or brandy are injected subcu- 

 taneously when a rapid action is imperative. 



^THEH. Ether. (C^ H^),©. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — ^ther purus, B. P.; aether fortior, pure ether, E.; gther hydrique 

 pur, Fr.; reiner aether, G. 



A liquid containing not less than 96.S per cent, nor more than 97.S per cent, 

 of ethyl oxide (0,^^)2 O, the remainder consisting 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^SOi+Ca H5O H = C^ Hj, H S Oj+H^O. Sulphovinic acid is 

 then further acted upon by alcohol. 



CjH,, H S O.+C, H5, O H = (QH,). O+H2S O^. The distillate is- freed 

 from water by agitation with calcium oxide and chloride, and subjected to redis- 

 tillation. 



Properties. — A transparent, colorless, mobile liquid, having a characteristic 

 odor and a burning and sweetish-taste. Spec. gr. 0.713 to 0.716 at 75° C. Soluble 

 in about 12 times its volume of water at 25° C. Miscible in all proportions with 

 alcohol, chloroform, petroleum, benzin, benzene, benzol, fixed and volatile oils. 

 Ether boils at about 35.5° C. (95° F.), and it should therefore boil when a test 

 tube, containing some broken glass and half fiUed with it, is held for some time in 

 the hand. Etheft is highly volatile and inflammable; its vapor, when mixed with 

 air and ignited, explodes violently. The color of light blue litmus paper moistened 

 with water should not be changed when the paper is immersed in ether for 10 

 minutes. Upon evaporation ether should leave no residue. Ether is a solvent 

 for fats, oils, alkaloids, resins, gutta percha and gun cotton. Ether vapor is 

 heavier than air, and, consequently, etherization should never be done above a 

 light or fire. 



Dose.—H. & C, §i-ii, (30-60) ; Sh. & Sw., 3ii-iv, (8-15) ; D., 1Tlx-3i, (.6-4). 



PHEPARATIONS. 



^ther Purificatus. (B. P.) 

 (Ether freed from most of its alcohol and water.) 

 Spiritus JSStheris. Spirit of Ether. (U. S. & B. P.) 

 Ether, 325; alcohol, 675. (U. S. P.) 

 Dose. — Same as for ether. 



Spiritus .^theris Compositus. Compound Spirit of Ether. (B. P.) 

 Synonym. — Hoffman's anodyne. Ether, 325; alcohol, 650; ethereal oil, 25. 

 (U. S. P. 1905.) 



Dose. — Same as for ether. 



Action External. — Ether evaporates rapidly from the skin, and ab- 

 stracts so much heat in the process that the superficial parts are cooled, 

 benumbed, and even frozen. This action is taken advantage of in spray- 

 ing ether from an atomizer upon the skin (with or without cocaine in- 

 jected) to cause local anesthesia in minor surgical operations, as open- 

 ing abcesses. The spray should not be applied more than a few minutes, 

 or freezing, damage to the tissues, and retardation of the healing process 

 will ensue. If ether is applied with friction, or if evapoiration from the 

 skin is prevented by bandaging, it will act as a rubefacient. 



Action Internal. — Digestive Organs. — Ether is an irritant to the 



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