Properties : It is a colorless and very volatile liquid having an agreeable odor and a sweetish, burning taste. It should be preserved in hermetically sealed glass tubes and kept in a cool place remote from light or fire.

Action and Uses: Ethyl chlorid is widely used in the form of spray to produce a local anesthesia for minor operations. When inhaled it produces prompt anesthesia, suitable for very short operations, but even then not without danger of producing accidents similar to those of chloroform. Because of these dangers and the difficulty of handling, it is now rarely used for general anesthesia.