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ETHYL CHLORIDUM. 391

burning with a green flame. It is sold in the compressed state in
hermetically sealed glass tubes, elongated to a capillary point,
which serves not merely as a vehicle for containing it, but also as
the apparatus for applying it, for owing to its low boiling point it
is admirably adapted in this form to the rapid production of anaes-
thesia. The best manner suggested for breaking the flask or
tube is to hold it vertically, attenuated end up ; grasp the pointed
end with a pair of plyers and fracture at the file mark which is
made nearer or at the end of the capillary elongation, so that the
escaping stream of vapor shall be attenuated to the greatest de-
gree possible, and then directed upon the surface to be anaesthet-
ized. It is inflammable.
Mode of Application.—The distance at which the glass tube
should be held from the part to be anaesthetized varies consider-
ably, for it may be two, six, eight, ten, or even twenty inches,
depending somewhat upon the size of the aperture in the elon-
gated end of the tube ; it is necessary that the stream of vapor
should reach the tissue exactly at the time of perfect volatiliza-
tion. After the attenuated end of the tube is broken ofF at the
file mark the tube is then everted, and the heat of the hand
grasping it will accelerate the escape of the stream of vapor,
which may be arrested by returning the tube to the position in
which it was held when broken, and placing a finger over the
aperture. Each flask or tube contains ten grammes of pure
chloride of ethyl, which is considered to be sufficient for the ex-
traction of about four teeth. When only a portion of the con-
tents of the tube has been used, the remainder can be preserved
by forcing the broken end into a rubber stopper and setting it in
a cool place ; or a little adhesive wax may be forced into the
aperture, but not melted and dropped on.
Therapeutic Uses and Action.—Chloride of ethyl is employed
in minor and dental surgery as a local anaesthetic, and its appli-
cation does not occasion any untoward accessory symptoms, and
it has no influence on the brain, having in this respect a great
advantage over methyl chloride whose application is followed by
a weakness of memory usually lasting for more than twelve
hours; ethyl chloride does not produce the extraordinary cold