An Improved Anesthetic and Hypnotic.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st, Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Anesthetic and Hypnotic.
I, Dr. JOSEPH FREIHERR VON MERING, Professor in the University of Halle,
of 16³, Alte Promenade, Halle a/ Saale, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The use of amylene as an anesthetic and hypnotic has already been frequently
attempted, but without success. Thus, in the year 1857, Snow, of London, tried
to employ amylene, which was prepared from fusel-oil by the action of zinc
chloride (ZnCl2), as an anesthetic in surgical operations. Owing to numerous
failures and even several cases of death, these attempts had to be abandoned in the
Bame year, when the use of amylene as an anesthetic was discontinued.
The investigations which I have made into the cause of these failures have led
me to recognize that the amylene hitherto employed is not a simple body but a
mixture of various substances producing different effects, and that the failure of
the employment of amylene for anesthetic purposes.is due to this fact.
I have found that the boiling point of the amylenes used for the said purposes
varies between 28 degrees and 75 degrees, and is even higher, that moreover these
amylenes have an unpleasant smell somewhat similar to that of benzene, fusel-oil,
or rotten cabbage, and contain, besides beta-isoamylene [trimethylethylene,
(CH,), C: CH (CH)], alpha-isoamylene [isopropylethylone, (CH,), CH.CH:
"
CH,], gamma-amylene [unsymmetrical methylethylethylenc
CH,
CH₂
C:CH,],
:
alpha-amylene [normal amylene CH,. CH,. CH,. CH: CH,] and also polymeric *
modifications of amylene, pentane [CH,. CH,. CH
CH,.
\CH,-
and also amylalcohol..
I had already discovered in the year 1887. that amylene hydrate
CH₂)
C,H
C.OH
or tertiary amylalcohol is an excellent hypnotic, and I have now determined on
the basis of the said discovery that the amylene corresponding to this amylene
hydrate [(CH), C.CH.CH = amylene hydrate minus H,O] is a reliable and
good anaesthetic and hypnotic, whereas the other above-mentioned substances
contained in the amylene hitherto used, especially in the amylene prepared from
fusel oil by means of zinc chloride, do not produce favourable effects; for instance
the vapours of the amylalcohols polluting such amylenes aro of an extremely
injurious and suffocating nature.
According to the present invention it is not the amylene formerly employed
experimentally which I use as an anesthetic and hypnotic, but, on the basis of the
aforesaid discovery, the amylene boiling at about 38 degrees centigrade, that is to
say the trimethylethylene (CH,), C: CH.CH..
For this purpose I may employ the said trimethylethylene either in the pure
state or mixed with methylalcohol or ether, without departing from the nature of
my invention. It is due to the experiments forming the basis of my aforesaid
invention that amylene can now serve as an anesthetic and hypnotic for medicinal
purposes, use being made, instead of the mixture, unsuccessfully employed in
.
:

page_text: previous experiments, of trimethylethylene, and this constitutes the essential feature
of my invention.
Dated this 11th day of July 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
4
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Anæsthetic and Hypnotic.
I, Dr. JOSEPH. FREIHERR VON MERING Professor in the University of Halle,
of 16 Alte Promenade, Halle a Saale, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The use of amylene as an anesthetic and hypnotic has already been frequently
attempted, but without success. Thus, in the year 1857, Snow, of London, tried
to employ amylene, which was prepared from fusel-oil by the action of zinc
chloride (ZnC), as an anesthetic in surgical operations. Owing to numerous
failures and even several cases of death, these attempts had to be abandoned in the
same year, when the use of amylene as an anesthetic was discontinued.
The investigations which I have made into the cause of these failures have led
me to recognize that the amylene hitherto employed is not a simple body but a
mixture of various substances producing different effects, and that the failure of
the employment of amylene for anaesthetic purposes is due to this fact.
I have found that the boiling point of the amylenes used' for the said purposes
varies between 28 degrees and 75 degrees, and is even higher that moreover these
amylenes have an unpleasant smell somewhat similar to that of benzene, fusel-oil;
or rotten cabbage, and contain besides beta-isoamylene [trimethylethylene,
(CHL), CCH (CH₂)], alpha-isoamylene isopropylethylene,, (CH,), CH. CH:
CH, gamma amylone [unsymmetrical methylethylethylene,,
CH
C,H,
C:CH,]
alpha-amylene (normall amylene CH,CH,..CH,.CH.CH,] polymeric. modifi-
CH,
cations of amylene, pentane [CH,CH,.ÇH‹
and also amylalcohol. I had
CH,
SC.OH or
already discovered in the year 1887 that. amylene. hydrate
(CH),
C,H,
tertiary amylalcohol is an excellent hypnotic, and I have now determined on the
basis of the said discovery that the amylene corresponding to this amylene hydrate
[(CH), C. CH. CH,= amylene hydrate minus H₂O] is a reliable and good
anesthetic and hypnotic, whereas the other above-mentioned substances contained
in the amylene hitherto used, especially in the amylene prepared from fusel-oil' by
means of zinc chloride do not produce favourable effects; for instance the vapours
of the amylalcohols polluting such amylenes are of an extremely injurious and
suffocating nature.
According to the present invention it is not the amylene formerly employed
experimentally which I use as an anesthetic and hypnotic; but, on the basis of the
aforesaid discovery, the amylene boiling at about 38 degrees centigrade that is to
say the trimethylethylene (CH), C: CH.CH.
For this purpose I may employ the said trimethylethylene either in the pure
state or mixed with methylalcohol or ether, without departing from the nature of

page_text: .
my invention. It is due to the experiments forming the basis of my aforesaid
invention that amylene can now serve as an anesthetic and hypnotic for medicinal
purposes, use being made, instead of the mixture unsuccessfully employed in
previous experiments, of trimethylethylene, and this constitutes the essential
feature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is :-
Dated this 31st day of March 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.