Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
May,  1880.  J 
Ethyl  Bromide, 
247 
A  post  mortem  examination  revealed  a  congested  brain,  but  showed 
nothing  beyond  that  to  account  for  its  death. 
The  inference  from  these  experiments  may  be  set  down  that,  inter- 
nally as  well  as  hypodermically,  the  ethyl  bromide  has  no  toxic  effect 
on  the  animal  organism  beyond  that  of  ether  or  alcohol. 
The  absence  of  any  odor  of  it  in  intestines,  kidneys  and  liver  admits 
the  theory  that  it  is  totally  eliminated  through  the  lungs ;  that  by  its  pres 
ence  in  large  quantities  in  the  system,  and  if  not  readily  eliminated 
through  the  lungs,  it  acts  as  a  decided  stimulant,  and  may,  when  used 
in  excess,  like  ether  and  alcohol,  cause  death  by  cerebral  congestion. 
Finally,  and  with  a  view  to  test  its  adaptability  and  safety  as  an 
anaesthetic  in  comparison  with  ether  and  chloroform,  we  experimented 
on  three  healthy  rabbits  of  about  the  same  weight,  simultaneously 
administering  by  inhalation  to  one  ether,  ethyl  bromide  to  another  and 
chloroform  to  the  third,  sufficiently  being  used  to  maintain  profound 
anaesthesia. 
The  first  one,  under  ether,  was  completely  under  its  effect  in  one 
minute;  heart's  action  rapidly  increased  in  number  of  beats,  diminished 
in  impulse,  death  occurring  in  3  minutes. 
The  second  one  was  in  complete  anaesthesia  from  ethyl  bromide  in 
30  seconds ;  pupils  first  contracted  then  dilated;  muscles  relaxed; 
accelerated  action  of  heart,  gradually  failing  impulse;  death  in  7 
minutes. 
Third  rabbit  received  chloroform,  producing  rapidly  anaesthesia  in  50 
seconds;  heart  feeble;  at  the  expiration  of  i  minute  50  seconds  heart 
suddenly  ceased  to  beat. 
Post  mortem  appearance  showed  the  animal  killed  by  ether  presenting 
congested  membranes  and  investments  of  brain,  heart  apparently  arrested 
in  diastole,  clot  in  right  auricle  and  ventricle,  which  were  largely  dis- 
tended; odor  of  ether  thought  to  be  faintly  perceptible  on  opening 
abdominal  cavity;  post  mortem  hypostasis  well  marked  in  lungs. 
Rabbit  died  of  ethyl  bromide  presented  on  post  mortem  examination 
a  brain  somewhat  paler  than  normal,  clots  in  both  ventricles  and  auri- 
•  cles  of  heart;   death  apparently  from  overstimulation  of  this  organ; 
lungs  normal;  no  odor  of  the  ethyl  perceptible  in  viscera. 
Chloroformed  animal  showed  on  post  mortem  examination  an  anemic 
brain,  small  clots  in  right  auricle  and  ventricle,  heart  apparently  arrested 
in  incomplete  systole,  due  to  clot ;  lungs  markedly  congested;  no  odor 
of  chloroform  noticeable. 
