Local Anesthetic Properties of Benzoyl Carbinol. 79 



water soluble vitamine promptly recover when either the almond, 

 English walnut or filbert is introduced in the diet. 

 Investigations in this field are being continued. 



46 (1506) 



The local anesthetic properties of benzoyl carbinol. 



By Axel M. Hjort and Charles E. Kaufmann (by invitation). 



[From the Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of 



Medicine.] 1 



Since Macht 2 observed that benzyl alcohol possessed local 

 anesthetic powers, several of its homologues have been studied for 

 like properties in this laboratory. These consist of a z and /3 4 

 phenethylol and benzoyl carbinol. The structural relationship of 

 these substances is : 



j/NcHzOH 



CHOHCH3 f ^CH 2 CH 2 OH 



COCH2OH 



Benzyl Alcohol a Phenethylol /3 Phenethylol Benzoyl Carbinol 



Hirschfelder 5 recently reported his observations on a series of 

 compounds closely related to the above. /3 phenethylol and 

 phenyl glycol were amongst these, the latter being the reduction 

 product of benzoyl carbinol, the subject of this paper. 



The relative efficiency of the substances investigated, with 

 respect to their local anesthetic properties, is shown by the fol- 

 lowing table : 



1 This research has been supported by a grant from the Committee on Scientific 

 Research of the American Medical Association. 



2 Macht, D. I., Journ. Pharm. &> Exp. Therap., 1918, xi, 263. 



3 Hjort, A. M., and Kaufmann, C. E., Ibid. In press. 



4 Hjort, A. M., and Eagan, J. T., Ibid., 1919, xiv, 211. 



6 Proc. Soc. Pharm. & Exp. Therap. (Dec, 1919). J- Pharm. &* Exp. Therap., 

 1920. 



