ANESTHESIN

ANESTHESIN, or anaesthalgin (Anaesthesin s. Anaesthalgin), C_eH₄NH₂COOC₆H₅, the ethyl ether of para-aminobenzoic acid, a white powder that is poorly soluble in cold water but readily soluble in hot water, alcohol, and fats. It is used for local anesthesia in powders (5-20%), ointments (5-10%), and suppositories (0.2), on wound surfaces, in hemorrhoids, in ulcers and excoriations of the skin and mucous membranes, in burns, in skin itching, and in eczema. It acts locally as a depressant and paralytic agent on sensory nerves. Anesthesin is given orally, 0.3-0.5 three times a day, for gastralgia, gastric ulcer, gastric hyperesthesia, nervous dyspepsia, and vomiting of pregnancy. The para-phenol-sulfur derivative of Anesthesin is called Anaesthesinum solubile s. Subcutin, which is a local anesthetic and appears as a white crystalline powder soluble up to 1% in cold water and up to 2¹/₂% in warm water. Its aqueous solutions do not decompose and can be sterilized by boiling.