[Chemistry Class Notes] on Uses of Ethers in Health Care Industry Pdf for Exam

Physical Properties:

Chemical Properties and uses

a)Pain reliever: Even in pharmacological medical specialty and medicine, especially for use of anesthetics, ether has a major role to play. Methoxymethane or otherwise referred to as antitussive is a good pain-relieving drug, and is the primary ingredient in morphine. Ethyl Ether (or just ether) was one of the first anesthetics used for surgical procedures during the 1800s. However, ether is highly flammable and has been mostly replaced by other less-flammable anesthetics like nitrous oxide and halothane. Ether was once used in pharmaceutical formulations. A mixture of alcohol(ROH) and ether(ROR), containing one part of diethyl ether and three parts of ethanol, was known as “Spirit of ether”, Hoffman’s Anodyne or Hoffman’s Drops. In the United States, this mixture was removed from the medical shops at some point as it was found that there were differences in the formulation to be found between business makers, between international pharma companies, and from Hoffman’s original recipe.

Compound spirit of ether or Hoffman anodyne has a peculiar odor, which it owes to the ethereal oil. In style, it’s highly regarded, pungent, and somewhat sweetish. It should be completely vaporized by heat and insolvent of acidic reaction; and, when mixed with water, should have a somewhat milky appearance, owing to the separation of the oil.

The effects of Hoffmann’s anodyne are somehow similar to those of ether but somewhat modified by the oil of wine, so as to bring it more nearly into accordance with the category of nervous stimulants. Ether, in small doses, insufficient to disturb particularly the cerebral centers, is actually a nervous stimulant; and, were it used only by the stomach, may perhaps be ranked properly with this group of medicines; because it is rarely given through this manner for its narcotic effects. But used, because it is nowadays by inhalation, conspicuously as a cerebral stimulant, and conformist therefore closely in its effects, as therefore administered, with alcohol and opium, it could not with propriety be removed from this connection. 

Hoffmann’s anodyne is used to influence nervous stimulation in its numerous forms. Among alternative effects is that of affecting sleep cycle resulting in longer sleep hours; so it acts, circuitously on the brain as a narcotic, however merely as a general stimulant to the system, equalizing its actions, and thus removing the cause of wakefulness. From its common name, it would be purported to have extraordinary powers of relieving pain. If given in massive quantities, it might possibly produce this effect directly, as the vapor of ether does when inhaled, by rendering the cerebral centers insensitive to the frustrations with occasion pain. As commonly given, however, it doesn’t act during this manner, but only by quieting the irritation upon which the pain may depend; and, when this is beyond its powers, it is itself inoperative as an anodyne. In case of severe pain, therefore, it will occasionally afford relief; in the pains of a surgical operation, and those dependent on inflammation, or even active congestion, seldom or never in any ordinary dose. Mild spasmodic affections will quite often yield to it.
It is much used in febrile diseases to calm restlessness, and general malaise, to obviate the nervous twitching and starting that are common in children. In mild troubles of hysteria, in faintness, lowness of spirits, palpitations, etc., and in analogous affections in the male sex, Hoffmann’s anodyne is often a preferred medicine to the physician, until the extreme stage is reached when more powerful remedies need to be implemented.

Flatulent pain and gastric uneasiness can also be treated by this organic compound.
It is typically an easy, quick, economical remedy in treating nervous headache.
It might be employed, in very large doses, for obtaining those more powerful effects in spasmodic diseases for which ether itself is given; but the proportion of alcohol it contains must always be taken into account before giving the dosage to the patients.

When tincture of opium sickens the abdomen or occasions headache, the impact could generally be prevented by giving Hoffmann’s anodyne along with it.

A mild dosage of it, sometimes produces terribly pleasant effects in restlessness, in the dose of from thirty to sixty drops. It should be given in a wineglassful of water, sweetened or not as the patient may prefer. The dose is also continual each hour or 2 if needed. It is often usefully combined with a solution of sulfate of morphia, or other preparation of opium, in affections in which both medicines are indicated.

b) For Anaesthesia purpose: Diethyl ether mostly supplanted the employment of chloroform as an anesthetic due to the ether’s additional favorable therapeutic index, that is, a bigger distinction between an effective dose and a potentially toxic dose. 

 
Diethyl ether depresses the cardiac muscle and will increase tracheobronchial secretions. The anesthetic inhalation, in general, may even be mixed with different anesthetic agents like chloroform to form C.E. mixture, or chloroform and alcohol to form A.C.E. mixture, considered to be a historical anesthetic agent. But in today’s medical practices, ether is rarely used. The use of burnable ether was displaced by incombustible fluorinated organic compound anesthetics. Halothane was the primary such anesthetic developed and different presently used indrawn anesthetics, like inhalation anesthetic, desflurane, and sevoflurane, are halogenated ethers. Diethyl ether was found to have adverse side effects, such as vomiting a
nd post-anesthetic nausea. Modern anesthetic agents reduce these side effects.

Local Anaesthetic by Ether-spray,—affords good relief in hurting of superficial nerves, lumbago, chorea, spinal irritation, and in minor surgical operations it is an important method, but now displaced by Cocaine.