THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 25, 1871, 
43 i 
Dr. Richardson proposesTo call this substance hydramyl- 
chlor., and I have a specimen of it on the table prepared 
for Dr. Richardson hy Mr. Robbins. I cannot do better 
Than give you a description of its preparation and effcets 
in the doctor’s own words :— 
“ Hydramyl-Chlor. 
“In making bichloride of methylene, we place a mix¬ 
ture of alcohol and chloroform in contact with pure zinc. 
On the application of heat there is set up a brisk action, 
during which an equivalent of chlorine from the chloro¬ 
form (C H Cl 3 ) passes to the zinc, and, after a free escape 
of gases, bichloride of methylene (CH. 2 C1 2 ) distils over. 
•On my request, Mr. Robbins, while manufacturing some 
bichloride of methylene, added to the materials in the 
retort prepared for making the bichloride about eight 
times the volume of amyl hydride. The result was 
.an immediate brisk action without the aid of heat. 
A copious stream of gases first passed over, and then, 
the fluid in the receiver having risen in tempera¬ 
ture, there began to distil a compound fluid, very light 
specifically, and of a most agreeable odour. Collecting 
some of this fluid, I found it had a specific gravity 
of - 699, and that it commenced to boil at 92° F. It was 
much more manageable for inhalation than the simple 
hydride ; was stable, and acted excellently as an anaes¬ 
thetic. After carefully testing the vapour of this com- 
pound, I administered it fourteen times in cases of ex¬ 
traction of teeth, and with results almost identical with 
those that followed the administration of simple hy- 
dramyl. 
“ Finally, in repeating the process of distillation, the 
first portion that distilled over was set aside, and none 
was collected until the temperature had reached 90°, the 
■temperature being sustained between that degree and the 
degree of temperature of the human body (98°). By this 
-means there was obtained a fluid still very agreeable to 
breathe and extremely rapid in its action. This fluid 
has the specific gravity of rectified ether, viz. *725. It 
boils in the warm hand, and may be considered as con¬ 
taining one part of bichloride of methylene in nine of 
-amyl hydride. I propose to call this fluid ‘ hydramyl- 
•ehlor.’ I administered the vapour of this fluid for the 
first time for a surgical operation on July 3. The patient 
was a young woman who wished to have a large firm 
molar tooth extracted. I placed two fluid drachms of the 
fluid in an inhaler specially constructed for it, and let the 
patient take the inhaler in her own hand and administer to 
herself. There was good anaesthesia in forty seconds, and 
ien seconds later Mr. Matthews took out the tooth without 
causing the least pain. The recovery was complete 
within the minute, and was neither attended with vomit¬ 
ing nor nausea. Since this case I have continued to ad¬ 
minister the same form of vapour in short operations, 
and, so far, have every reason to be satisfied with the 
results. I have administered it to children as young as four 
years, and to adults of different ages up to seventy, and 
of both sexes. Mr. Matthews has also administered it a 
great many times for tooth-extraction at the Marylebone 
Dispensary with success equally good.” 
I can only just name the introduction of the organic 
bromides into pharmacy; they appear not unlikely in 
the future to occupy an important place, but my time 
jmd your weariness of my dry subjects must be my ex¬ 
cuse for reserving a detailed notice for some future op¬ 
portunity. Specimens of the bromides of quinine, mor¬ 
phia and strychnia are on the table. I will only name, 
as it may be a guide to some present, that the usual dose 
cf the bromide of quinine is one grain, bromide of 
morphia one-eighth of a grain, and bromide of strychnia 
•one-thirty-second of a grain. 
Dr. Richardson states that they are soluble without 
The addition of any acid, but in practice we have not 
found this the case, and it is needful to add a small 
quantity of hydrobromic acid to each when preparing 
solutions or syrups from them. 
Very recently attention has been drawn to the thera¬ 
peutic value of theine—a substance, as you are aware, 
existing in tea and coffee, and which, up to the present 
time, has been looked upon rather as a chemical curio¬ 
sity, than as a medicinal agent. It is a powerful tonic 
and stimulant, and a writer in the Medical Times and 
Gazette (Mr. Lewis Thompson) claims for it “ the tonic 
virtues of disulphate of quinine united to the stimula¬ 
ting power of wine, but with this difference, that the 
stimulus from theine is not followed by any depression, 
as is the case with wine and alcohol.” 
It has been found useful in hemicrania, neuralgia and 
relapsing fever ; and in cases of an over-dose of opium, i> 
appeared to relieve the narcotic symptoms very speedily. 
It is estimated that more than 140 tons of theine are 
wasted every year in the process of coffee-roasting, and 
Mr. Thompson states that by some modification of the 
the apparatus used for this purpose, theine may be pro¬ 
duced at a cost of a few pence the ounce. By the pre¬ 
sent method, its cost is 15s. or 16s. an ounce. The dose 
which has been administered is from 1 to 5 grains. The 
specimen I have here is made by the old process ; but I 
am informed that if the demand were sufficient, it could 
readily be manufactured in the manner indicated at a 
very small cost. 
If it proves to possess the virtues attributed to it, we 
may soon expect a very formidable rival to cinchona 
products. 
There appears to be a possibility that hydrate of 
chloral has seen its best days ; for in some experiments 
conducted by Dr. Otto Liebreich, of Berlin, he has pro¬ 
duced a new substance, to which he gives the name of 
“ croton chloral,” and which is produced by conducting 
chlorine gas into allylene. It has the peculiar effect of 
producing at first a high degree of amesthesia in the 
head, whilst sensibility in other parts of the body re¬ 
mains intact. Some experiments have been tried with it 
in the university of Berlin and upon the insane, and it 
promises to produce all the good effects of hydrate of 
chloral, without any drawback to its judicious use. I am 
not aware that, up to the present time, any sample of it 
has been introduced into this country. 
I must now apologize to you (and especially to the 
ladies present) for my dry address. I fear many of the 
latter have heartily wished that they had stayed at home; 
unless, indeed, any of them contemplate following the 
example of a Chicago virgin and entering into the ranks 
of pharmaceutical chemists. I think it possible the day 
may come when we shall have to welcome some of them 
at Bloomsbury Square; and you are well aware, gentle¬ 
men, that when the ladies once get either into our hearts, 
our pockets or our professions, there is no possibility, and 
I will add, very little desire, ever to get them out again. 
BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES 
CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The adjourned Monthly Meeting of the Council of 
this Association was held at its rooms, 24, Quadrant, 
Birmingham, on Friday, the 17th inst.; Mr. Geo. 
Dymond, the President, in the chair. 
It was resolved at this meeting that the winter Con¬ 
versazione be held at the Assembly Rooms of the Royal 
Hotel, Birmingham, and the rooms have since been en¬ 
gaged for Tuesday, the 6th of February. Free cards of 
invitation will be issued to all members , each admitting a 
lady and gentleman, and to associates, admitting. a 
gentleman; and a certain number of invitations will 
also be issued to many of the medical and scientific 
gentlemen of the neighbourhood. (Intending members 
are requested to enrol their names as early as possible.) 
A portion of the rooms will be devoted to an exhibi¬ 
tion of objects of pharmaceutical, medical and scientific 
interest. Intending exhibitors who desire to avail them- 
