In the last few years a voluminous literature has accumulated on the use of nupercaine, a new anesthetic, in general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, urology and otolaryngology for surface, spinal and infiltration anesthesia. Only slight reference, however, has been made to its use in ophthalmology, and as far as I am aware no paper in English has appeared concerning its value in ocular therapeutics. This has prompted me to prepare a short summary of my experiences with this anesthetic over a period of three years. The results in the main have been most favorable.
CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY
Nupercaine is the hydrochloride of diethylethylenediamide of alphabutyloxycinchonic acid. It belongs to a group of chemical combinations which until recently were not known to possess anesthetic properties. It does not belong to the same family as cocaine or procaine hydrochloride, but is a derivative of quinoline, which is related to quinine.