Ether : a brief account of its manufacture, chemical composition, congealing properties, etc. etc. / by Martin Henry Payne.

  • Payne, Martin Henry.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ether : a brief account of its manufacture, chemical composition, congealing properties, etc. etc. / by Martin Henry Payne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    accidents have already occurred. It is a solvent of many resins, fixed and volatile oils, caoutchouc, and most of the vegetable alkaloids,—and also dissolves, but less readily, sulphur and phosphorus. It is sometimes adulterated with rectified spirit, and to a small extent with water, with which, however, it is miscible to a very limited extent, 100 parts of the former dissolving but 10 of the latter. Should it take up a much greater quantity, the ether is im- pure, and is probably mixed with alcohol, from which it may l)c separated by the addition of a small quantity of water, which, combining with the spirit, forms two distinct but easily separated layers. Pure ether is perfectly neutral to test-paper, and is largely employed in the analytical labora- tory, as a solvent for fatty and oily substances; it is also largely consumed by photographers, as one of the principal ingredients in the manufacture of collodion. Two other important properties of ether may here be mentioned:—First, its power of dissolving iodine and bro- mine ; and, secondly, that of dissolving the perchloride of mercury, HgCl*' (corrosive sublimate). The value of the first will be easily appreciated when we consider that our means of obtaining bromine from the sea-water, and from various saline springs, where it exists chiefly as bromide of magnesium, depend upon that property. The next, namely, that of dissolving the ehloride of mereury, is likewise a very important one; and inasmuch as it is unable to dissolve the subchloride Hg2Cl (calomel), it furnishes us with a valuable means of ascertaining the freedom of the latter salt from the chloride, with which in its course of manufacture it is frequently contaminated; it also gives us one way, at least, of separating the two substances. Ether is used internally as a stimulant, antispasmodic, and narcotic, but is unaccompanied by subsequent depres- sion. Dr. Headland states that it is especially useful in hysterical and in nervous complaints, generally in doses of m,xv to 5i, especially if prescribed with laudanum, or with a solution of the salts of morphia. The first effect of ether when inhaled is to exhilarate, but when taken in sufficient quantity it produces perfect insensibility. It was formerly used as an anesthetic, but though still jueferred by many to chloroform, has been almost entirely superseded by the latter agent in this country. There are other uses to which ether may be applied, both in the surgery and in the laboratory of the chemist; but as tlicy do not bear on the subject before us, 1 shall not intro- duce them here. * The c(iuivalenf of mercury is taken at 100 .