ACETANILID^ ANTIPYRINE AND PHENACETIN 241 



AcETPHENETiDiNUM, AcETPHENETiDHf. Phenacetin. CioHisOa N. (U. S. p.) 



Synonym. — Phenacetinum, B. P.; para-acetphenetidin. 



Derivation. — Obtained by the action of glacial acetic acid upon paraphene- 

 tidin, a phenol derivative. 



HC,HsO,+CoH,OCjH, NH=C,oHi,NO.+HjO. 



Properties. — White, glistening, crystalline scales or as a fine, crystalline pow- 

 der; odorless, having a slightly bitter taste and producing a faint numbing effect 

 on the tongue; permanent in the air. Soluble in 1810 parts of water, 15 of alco- 

 hol, 14 of chloroform, and 90 of ether. 



Dose.—H. & C, 3iv, (IS); D., gr.v-x, (.3-.6). 



Antipyrina. Antipyrine. CuHu ON^. (U. S. P.) 



Synonym. — Phenazonum, B. P.; phenyl-dimethyl-pyrazolon. 



Derivation. — Phenyl-hydrazine is acted upon by aceto-acetic ether, when 

 phenyl-monomethyl-pyrazolon, ethyl alcohol and water result. 



HjN N H C„H5-1-C H,C O C Hj C O O QiH^ = CeH. (C Hs) CjHjNjO+CH, 

 O H+HjO. Then CeH, (C Hj) CsH^N^O-FC H^ I (methyl iodide) = CuH,,ONj-|- 

 HI. 



Properties. — A white, almost odorless, crystalline powder or in tabular crys- 

 tals, with a slightly bitter taste. Soluble in about its own weight of water, 

 alcohol and chloroform. 



/ncompoit6ie«.— Spirit of nitrous ether, iron sulphate, chloride and iodide; 

 salicylates, tannin, chloral, calomel, and a large number of drugs. 



Dose.—U. & C, 3vi, (24) ; Sh. & Sw., 3i. (4) ; D., gr.v-xx, (.3-1.3). 



Action of Acetanilid, Antipyrine and Phenacetin. 



External. — ^Acetanilid and antipyrine are antiseptics. Solutions of 

 the latter contract vessels and exert a local anesthetic and hemostatic 

 action. 



Internal. — These substances exert no action upon the digestive tract, 

 but acetanilid possesses a decided antiseptic influence upon bacteria 

 within the alimentary canal. 



Blood. — These agents have no influence upon the blood, in moderate 

 medicinal doses, but in large doses (except antipyrine) they diminish 

 the ozonizing power of the blood, reduce the hemoglobin of the red cor- 

 puscles, change it to methemoglobin, and alter the color of the blood to 

 a brownish-red hue. In large toxic quantities, administered continuously, 

 they cause disintegration of the red corpuscles and elimination of the 

 blood-coloring matter in the urine. 



Heart and Blood Vessels. — In ordinary therapeutic doses the<!e 

 drugs do not alter the normal condition of the heart or blood vessels^ 

 but in large medicinal doses they first stimulate and then slow and de- 

 press the force of the heart by action (probably) upon the heart muscle. 

 Phenacetin is the least, and acetanilid the most depressant. Antipyrine 

 is said to stimulate the heart and increase blood pressure in minute 

 quantities. These three antipyretics decidedly diminish blood tension in 

 large medicinal doses, owing to depression of tlie heart and of the vaso- 

 motor apparatus. 



Nervous System. — Usual therapeutic doses of these substances exert 

 a sedative action upon the sensory nerves and sensory tract of the spinal 

 cord. They are therefore anelgesics, although not comparable in this 

 respect to opium. Poisonous quantities of these drugs diminish muscu- 

 lar power, lessen reflex action and cause paralysis. Experiments appar- 



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