Sevenoaks Catalyst Magazine - Science and Society Issue 3 - Lent term 2021 | Page 72

Ethers are a group of organic compounds .
Structurally similar to alcohol , they are characterised by having an oxygen atom bonded to two alkyl or aryl groups . Ethers are liquid at room temperature , colourless , and sweet in smell . A sulphuric ether ( also known as diethyl ether ) is an inhalation anaesthetic , as it has high aqueous solubility and is a volatile organic solvent . Its vapour is inhaled by patients through the mouth and nose , numbing pain and leaving the patient unconscious . However , sulphuric ether also has its downsides . It is a highly flammable substance and its vapour can irritate the throat causing laryngospasm ( spasm of vocal cords ). In addition to that , the recovery rate after use is prolonged with 85 % of patients saying they felt nauseous or vomited after going under anaesthesia . These are the main reasons why sulphuric ether is not often used today , with the most common inhalation anaesthesia being isoflurane . Nevertheless , some developing countries still use sulphuric ether as it is low in cost and has a high therapeutic index ( the measurement of how safe a drug is ) with very little cardiac and respiratory depression .