Compound spirit of ether explained

Compound spirit of ether, also called Hoffmann's anodyne, Hoffmann's drops, or aetheris spiritus compositus, is a solution of one part diethyl ether in three parts alcohol.^[1] It is used traditionally as an anodyne or as a hypnotic. Its use as a drug was introduced by Friedrich Hoffmann.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Werner Gerabek: Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. Berlin 2005, p. 610. https://books.google.com/books?id=LLoOUP-y54YC&dq=hoffmannstropfen&pg=PA610
2. T. Kleij: Zur Entwicklungs- und Herstellungsgeschichte der "Hoffmannstropfen" und ihrer Darstellung und Interpretation in den medizinischen Werken des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts. Dresden, 2003.