178 Safe Anaesthesia. [February, 
produced in about three minutes, while in the case of ether 
it took fifteen to twenty minutes, although the cloth was 
kept saturated. The committee therefore endeavoured to find 
an agent which should be as potent as an anaesthetic as 
chloroform, yet affedt the heart and respiration as little as 
ether. 
Whatever substitute for chloroform is found it must be 
one which can be administered in large doses, and in 
trying the following agents the committee administered full 
doses. 
Benzine (C 6 H 6 ) was used with the frog. Its effects were 
nearly as slow as those of ether, and it produced struggling ; 
weakening of the heart was apparent, but not so great as 
with chloroform. 
Acetone (C 3 H 6 0) produced only slight anaesthesia in the 
frog, even after prolonged administration. 
Pyrrol (C 4 H 5 N) produced anaesthesia in the frog with 
considerably less rapidity than chloroform, but great excite- 
ment and muscular spasms took place before complete 
anaesthesia. Administered to three young rabbits subcu- 
taneously, it produced convulsive movements, chiefly of the 
jaws and fore paws. Anaesthesia in these rabbits was 
doubtful. 
So-called bichloride of methylene, the reputed formula 
of which is CH 2 C1 2 , on being administered to frogs, it was 
found that the heart became quickly affedted, and soon 
stopped. With rabbits, respiration rapidly deteriorated 
and stopped while the heart was still beating. In an 
experiment with artificial respiration the heart was 
weakened and soon stopped, but not as rapidly as 
with chloroform. As in the case of chloroform, the right 
ventricle became enormously distended — the first sign of 
paralysis being the commencement of this distension. 
Amylene (C 5 H I0 ) was administered to rabbits both by 
cloth and subcutaneously. No anaesthetic effedt was pro- 
duced. 
Butyl chloride (C 4 H 9 C1) administered to rabbits affedted 
respiration, but not very rapidly. In experiments with expo- 
sure of the heart, the cardiac pulsations became weaker, and 
ceased altogether after some time. In one experiment, it 
was noted that, almost immediately after complete anaesthe- 
sia, the respiration became shallow and soon stopped. 
Ethene dichloride, formerly named ethylene dichloride, or 
Dutch liquid (C 2 H 4 C1 2 ) produced convulsive movements of 
both extremities, continuing up to death. There was no 
anaesthesia up to the commencement of the convulsions. 
