XVII.—Studies on the Pharmacological Action of Tetra-Alkyl-Ammonium Compounds: III. The Action of Methyl-Ethyl-Ammonium Chlorides

Abstract

In view of the differences observed in the pharmacological action of tetra-methyl- and tetra-ethyl-ammonium chlorides, it seemed of interest to investigate the actions of the methyl-ethyl-ammonium compounds. The chlorides of these compounds—namely, tri-methyl-ethyl-ammonium chloride, di-methyl-di-ethyl-ammonium chloride, methyl-tri-ethyl-ammonium chloride—were kindly prepared for me by Dr J. E. Mackenzie, who has published the mode of preparation and the analysis of them.The only references I have found to the pharmacological action of the members of this series are brief statements by Tappeiner and Boehm. Tappeiner says that tri-ethyl-methyl-ammonium chloride, unlike tetra-methyl-ammonium chloride, does not produce temporary paralysis of the respiration; Boehm that tri-methyl-ethyl-ammonium chloride, like tetra-methyl-ammonium chloride, causes contracture of an isolated frog's muscle when a solution is applied to it.