Am,  Jour.  Pharm.  { 
May,  1880.  J 
Ethyl  Bromide, 
245 
anaesthetic  seems  to  imply  that  it  was  not  its  immediate  presence  which 
caused  this  lethal  effect.  The  presence  of  an  odor  of  ethyl  bromide 
forty-one  hours  after  its  administration  is  hardly  in  conformity  with  its 
volatile  character,  but  seems  to  point  to  the  presence  of  a  heavier  and 
less  diffusible  substance  contained  therein. 
Judging  fromi  these  facts  that  the  deleterious  effects  might  be  due  to 
the  heavy  distillate  above  mentioned,  we  gave  20  drops  of  it  to  a  rabbit, 
with  the  result  of  causing  gastro-intestinal  irritation,  general  malaise 
and  subsequent  death  in  18  hours  afterwards;  while,  in  the  same  ani- 
mal, 30  drops  of  pure  ethyl  bromide,  given  on  a  previous  occasion, 
(produced  no  worse  effects  than  slight  intoxication.  A  post  mortem 
examination  showed  the  decided  odor  of  the  acrid  heavy  distillate  per- 
vading the  intestinal  tract  and  kidneys,  while  the  brain,  which  unfor- 
tunately in  the  autopsy  of  Dr.  Sims'  case  has  not  been  mentioned,  pre- 
sented a  congested  appearance,  explaining  probably  the  cerebral  trouble 
which  Dr.  Sims'  patient  complained  of  so  much.  This  congestion  is 
toiallv  absent  in  immediate  death  produced  by  the  anaesthetic  on  ani- 
mals, the  brain  in  such  contingencies  being  generally  pale  and  some- 
what anemic.  The  abdominal  viscera  also  showed  signs  of  irritation 
and  congestion. 
To  further  satisfy  ourselves  as  to  the  effects  of  pure  ethyl  bromide, 
we  continued  our  experiments  as  follows. 
A  rabbit  of  4  pound  3  ounces  weight;  anaesthesia  induced  in  one 
minute  by  20  drops  of  ethyl  bromide;  pupils  first  contracted  and  then 
dilated;  heart  acting  well,  with  slight  increase  in  number  of  beats.  By 
withdrawing  and  reapplying  the  anaesthetic  as  required,  the  animal  was 
(kept  under  the  effects  of  it  for  20  minutes,  and  on  withdrawing  it  the 
animal  recovered  entirely  in  five  minutes. 
Another  rabbit,  weighing  3I  pounds,  was  made  to  inhale  i  drachm 
of  ethyl  bromide,  producing  complete  anaesthesia  in  one  minute,  caus- 
ing first  contraction,  followed  by  dilatation  of  the  pupil;  heart  beating 
'normally;  voluntary  muscles  relaxed.  The  anaesthesia  being  pushed 
on  by  the  use  of  another  drachm  of  the  ethyl,  the  beating  of  the  heart 
was  accelerated,  number  of  respirations  increased,  and  in  six  minutes 
heart  ceased  to  beat,  after  losing  preceptibly  in  impulse.  Attempts  at 
resuscitation  proved  fruitless,  but  electromotoric  sensibility  well  pre- 
served. Post  mortem  examination  showed  the  brain  in  a  state  of  anemia, 
lungs  pale  and  healthy,  right  ventricle  and  auricle  distended  and  filled 
with  ante  mortem  clots;  no  odor  of  the  ethyl  perceptible  after  death. 
