Treatment.—As for nitrobenzene.
Fusel-oil, Amylic Alcohol, Potato-Spirit.—Fusel-oil, also known as amylic alcohol, is known by its unpleasant odour and burning taste; it acts like alcohol as an inebriant, giving rise to headache, giddiness, &c.
Nitro-glycerine.—In liquid or vapour, violent headache and throbbing in the temples are produced by this substance, which is used in the treatment of angina pectoris.
ACETANILIDE (ANTIFEBRIN),
PHENAZONUM (ANTIPYRIN),
AND PHENACETIN
These substances are used extensively as antipyretics. They have been known to cause poisoning when administered in large doses.
Symptoms.—The symptoms are principally those of depression, impairment of sight, vertigo, sleepiness, and unconsciousness; collapse, cyanosis, and loss of body temperature; the pulse and respiration are lowered. Antipyrin causes tumultuous action of the heart, and there may be erythematous or herpetic eruptions on the skin. Aniline derivatives, like sulphonal and other synthetic drugs, tend to destroy the red corpuscles of the blood, and decompose hæmaglobin, producing hæmatoporphyrin which appears in the urine.
Chemical Analysis.—Antifebrin may be extracted from an acid solution by chloroform; for antipyrin the solution should be alkaline.
Antifebrin gives the phenyl-isocyanide reaction on warming with alcoholic solution of potash and chloroform. Bichromate of potassium dissolved in strong sulphuric acid gives a red colour, changing to brown and dirty green; sodium nitrite and strong hydrochloric acid give a yellow colour, changing to green and blue; on evaporation the residue is orange, and turns red on addition of ammonia.
Antipyrin.—Heated with strong nitric acid and the liquid allowed to cool, a purple colour is produced; if water be added a violet precipitate is thrown down, and the filtered liquid will be purplish-red. Ferric chloride gives a blood-red colour, destroyed by a mineral acid. An aqueous solution of potassium nitrite and strong sulphuric acid gives a green colour.
Phenacetin is coloured yellow by nitric acid, the colour persisting when heated. It dissolves in sulphuric acid without change of colour. Boiled with hydrochloric acid, then diluted with water and chromic acid solution added, gives a deep red solution.