196  Sodium  Ethylate,  or  Caustic  Alcohol.   { A "^'rtSST 
2.  Therapeutical. — In  applying  the  ethylates,  I  had  before  me  a  defi- 
nite object  derived  purely  from  experimental  research.  I  found  by 
experiment  that  I  possessed  in  the  ethylates  of  sodium  and  potassium 
bodies  which,  on  being  brought  into  contact  with  the  moist  living 
tissues,  were  decomposed,  caustic  alkali  being  produced  and  ethylic 
alcohol  being  reproduced  by  the  extraction  and  decomposition  of  the 
water  of  the  tissues.  If,  therefore,  I  inferred,  I  applied  an  ethylate  to  a 
vascular  living  tissue,  I  ought  to  get  four  results  on  application,  viz. 
(#),  a  removal  or  absorption  of  water  from  the  tissue  into  the  ethylate  ; 
(b)  the  destructive  action  of  a  caustic  from  the  caustic  soda  that  would 
be  formed;  (c)  coagulation  from  the  alcohol  that  would  be  reproduced; 
(a)  prevention  of  decomposition  of  the  dead  organic  substance  that 
would  be  formed.  The  first  instance  in  which  the  ethylate  of  sodium 
was  used  gave  all  these  results,  and  future  experience  has  confirmed 
the  principle.  At  this  moment  I  have  a  case  in  hand  in  which  a  large 
vascular  growth  is  reduced  by  the  ethylate  to  a  mere  dry  mass  of  scale 
or  scab  by  four  applications. 
It  is  not,  however,  by  every  degree  of  dilution  or  of  concentration 
of  the  ethylate  that  the  results  can  be  arrived  at.  If  the  ethylate  be 
too  concentrated  the  caustic  or  destructive  action  is  over  severe  and 
haemorrhage  may  follow,  like  as  from  an  incised  wound.  This  is 
specially  the  fact  with  ethylate  of  potassium,  and  for  that  reason  I 
prefer  to  recommend  the  ethylate  of  sodium  of  a  strength  I  shall  name 
at  the  close  of  this  paper. 
Therapeutically,  the  ethylates  admit  of  a  wide  range  of  action.  I 
have  already  used  the  sodium  ethylate  with  success  in  a  case  of  a  wound 
from  the  bite  of  a  dog,  and  I  should  infer  that  as  an  application  to 
wounds  from  snake  bite  it  would  be  of  signal  service.  I  need  not 
enter  into  these  subjects  here,  but  whatever  may  be  the  future  of  the 
ethylates  as  remedies  the  first  use  of  them  was  based  on  pure  experi- 
mental research  and  the  observations  derived  from  it,  a  research  which 
was  a  repetition  to  the  letter,  varied  only  in  respect  to  details,  of 
the  mode  with  which  I  inquired  into  the  action  of  nitrite  of  amyl,  and 
determined  its  true  place  as  a  remedial  agent. 
3.  Pharmaceutical. — In  order  that  the  intention  of  the  ethylates,  as  I 
have  proposed  them  for  use,  may  be  properly  fulfilled,  they  must  be 
sent  out  by  the  pharmacist  as  absolute  alcohols,  and  for  that  reason 
absolute  ethylic  alcohol  must  be  used  it  their  manufacture. 
