244- 
Ethyl  Bromide. 
/  A.m.  Jour.  Pharm 
\      May,  1880. 
The  bath  was  heated  to  a  temperature  of  not  over  I25°F.,  at  which 
brisk  ebullition  ensued  and  a  stream  of  pure  ethyl  bromide  was  received^ 
a  sample  of  which  I  here  exhibit,  which  is  devoid  of  any  and  all  disa- 
greeable odor,  colorless  and  limpid,  of  a  specific  gravity  of  i'40,  boils 
at  io6°F.  and  does  not  burn. 
The  remains  in  the  bottle  were  about  one-half  ounce  of  a  brown 
acrid  liquid,  which  I  here  exhibit,  but  of  which  I  have  not  yet  recov- 
ered a  sufficient  amount  to  make  a  more  complete  examination.  To' 
the  taste  it  is  extremely  unpleasant,  pungent  and  representing  the  disa- 
greeable odor  generally  found  in  the  ethyl  bromide  offered  in  the  market. 
As  regards  the  stability  of  pure  ethyl  bromide,  which  has  been  ques- 
tioned, I  can  fully  confirm  Dr.  Levis'  experience.  1  have  kept  samples- 
of  my  earlier  experiments,  made  almost  two^months  ago,  which  to  day 
present  the  same  appearance  they  had  then  \  and  far  from  a  sponta- 
neous decomposition,  I  have  not  succeeded,  by  either  alkalies  or 
acids,  or  other  chemical  means,  to  liberate  the  bromine  from  this  ethyl 
or  to  effect  its  exchange  in  double  decomposition,^  and  cannot  say, 
therefore,  that  it  deserves  the  name  of  a  loosely  molecular  article. 
(Dr.  Squibb,  ^'Medical  Record,"  April  3d,  1880,  p.  379). 
In  concluding  my  remarks  on  its  manufacture,  I  would  point  out  the 
simple  and  cheap  manner  in  which,  by  my  process,  a  pure  and  reliable 
article  (which  already  has  been  thoroughly  tested  by  many  physicians) 
can  be  produced  by  the  pharmacist  himself,  without  having  to  submit 
to  the  exorbitant  prices  generally  asked  for  it. 
Actuated  by  a  desire  to  further  study  the  effects  of  the  ethyl  bro- 
mide, I  was  led  to  make  a  series  of  experiments  on  the  lower  animals 
and  on  ourselves,  conjointly  with  my  friend  Dr.  J.  G.  Lee,  the  phy- 
sician to  the  Coroner  of  this  city.  Regarding  the  safety  of  it  as  ark 
anaesthetic,  as  well  as  to  after  effects  produced  by  its  use,  we  made 
numerous  investigations,  the  results  of  some  of  which  I  will  give  con- 
densed below. 
As  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  J.  Marion  Sims  seems  to  indicate 
that  a  most  disastrous  result  has  recently  occurred  from  its  use  ("Med- 
ical Record,"  April  3,  1880,  p.  361),  and  that  being  the  only  and  first 
instance  of  the  kind  reported,  the  ethyl  bromide  used  in  that 
case,  as  well  as  the  most  of  it  produced  heretofore,  was  presumably 
obtained  in  a  very  imperfect  manner,  and  it  seems  but  reasonable  to 
review  the  case. 
That  death  occurred  only  twenty-one  hours  after  the  use  of  the 
have  since  observed  a  reaction  with  a  strong  solution  of  ammonia,  yielding 
ethylaniine  bromide. 
