THE ANESTHETIC EFFECTS OF ETHYL VINYL ETHER, DIVINYL ETHER, AND DIETHYL ETHER ON MICE

1. Experiments were carried out to determine the anesthetic effects of divinyl, ethyl vinyl and diethyl ether on mice. 2. The concentrations necessary to produce surgical anesthesia and respiratory arrest were, for divinyl ether 8 and 12 vol. per cent, for ethyl vinyl ether 6 and 16 vol. per cent and for diethyl ether 6 and 18 vol. per cent. Induction time was short and nearly the same for the three ethers in the range 8-14 vol. per cent. Recovery was prolonged following anesthesia with diethyl ether especially when higher concentrations were used. Thus, our results indicate that divinyl ether is the least potent agent for producing surgical anesthesia and the most potent for producing respiratory arrest. It is, therefore, the most dangerous of the three ethers. Ethyl vinyl ether was found to be rapid in action, potent and safe. Recovery time following its use was short.