14  Therapeutic  Uses  for  Chemicals.  {^""jlnnlry.^^gw. 
to  find  a  non-narcotic  benzyl  combination  which  would  produce  ' 
similar  therapeutic  action  and  resulted  in  the  discovery  that  the 
esters,  benzyl  acetate  and  benzyl  benzoate,  possessed  such  prop- 
erties. 
This  was  first  shown  by  experiments  upon  animals  and  subse- 
quently by  many  clinical  tests  and  has  led  to  the  suggested  use  of 
the  latter  where  antispasmodic  action  upon  the  smooth  muscles  is 
desired. 
It  was  found  that  while  the  acetate  was  of  equal  therapeutic 
value  it  produced  slight  irritation  upon  the  stomach  and  the  ben- 
zoate has  therefore  been  recommended  for  general  trial.  It  is  em- 
ployed in  dysentery,  biliary,  renal  and  uterine  colic,  in  arterial 
spasms,  bronchial  spasms,  as  in  asthma,  in  dysmenorrhoea  and  other 
excessive  spasms  of  smooth  muscles. 
Benzyl  benzoate  has  long  been  used  as  a  solvent  in  perfumery, 
especially  for  synthetic  musk,  and  also  for  the  incorporation  and 
fixing  of  the  flavor  in  chewing  gum,  where  it  prevents  loss  by  evapo- 
ration during  the  heating  and  kneading  of  the  mass,  and  it  is  in- 
teresting to  learn  that  its  therapeutic  value  was  suggested  by  chem- 
ical and  physiological  experiments,  conducted  in  a  modern  research 
laboratory,  whereby  the  value  of  such  work  is  again  conclusively 
demonstrated. 
Pharmaceutically,  benzyl  benzoate  must  be  treated  very  much 
like  an  oil.  Its  dose  is  small,  2  to  5  minims,  and  it  has  been  most 
largely  administered  in  20  per  cent,  alcoholic  solution  containing 
2  per  cent,  of  soap  which  makes  a  solution  that  is  readily  miscible 
with  water.  It  has  also  been  dissolved  in  fixed  oil  and  dispensed  in 
capsules.  Dr.  Litzenberg  (/.  A.  M.  A.,  73:  601,  1919)  sug- 
gests the  following  prescription  for  its  administration  for  dys- 
menorrhoea. 
I^. 
Benzyl  Benzoate   10  mils 
Mucilago  Acaciae   5  mils 
Elix.  Eriodicty.  Aromat.  q.  s   50  mils 
Give  from  one-half  to  two  teaspoonfuls  as  necessary.  In  the 
/.A.M.  A.,  73:  599  and  601,  a  more  extensive  review  and  many 
additional  references  may  be  found. 
Benzyl  Alcohol  (Phenmethylol) . — During  experimental  work  on 
benzyl  combinations,  in  the  study  of  their  antispasmodic  action, 
