Hydriodic Ether
or IODIDE OF ETHYL, a colorless uninflammable liquid composed of iodine and ethyl, of a sharp, pungent taste, and a penetrating ethereal odor; sp. gr. 1.94; boiling point 148° F.; sp. gr. of vapor 5.4. Formula CHI. At a red heat it is decomposed, giving off the purple vapors which are peculiar to iodine. Besides its use in the chemical laboratory as a reagent, it has attracted the attention of physicians, especially in the United States and England, land, as a remedial agent, to be administered by inhalation, in many cases in which the use of iodine is indicated. It is given in doses of 12 or 15 drops, inhaled from a napkin or sponge. In these doses, it is a gentle stimulant, and antispasmodic, but in larger quantities, and when inhaled for a considerable time, it becomes a powerful anæsthetic agent.