A.C.E. mixture

A.C.E. mixture (or ACE mixture) is an old anaesthetic agent for general anaesthesia, which was first suggested by Dr. George Harley and first used in England around 1860, and in 1864 it was recommended for use by the Royal Medical and Surgical Society’s Chloroform Committee. However it was used rarely after the 19th century, although used for slightly longer in Germany.

It was a mixture of alcohol, chloroform and ether (diethyl ether) which gives the mixture its name (see also the definition of in Wiktionary). Its actions were said to between that of chloroform and ether and it was used as a good substitute when ether alone was contraindicated. Its boiling point was given as $$C and it was measured in Drachm.

Usage
A.C.E. mixture was most commonly made up in the ratio: 1 part alcohol, 2 parts chloroform, and 3 parts ether although other ratios existed. See 'other preparations' below.

Chloroform (which was first used in 1847) used on its own produces myocardial depression, however the excitatory properties of the alcohol and ether contained with the choloroform in the A.C.E. mixture was believed to reduce this. However, some did question this experimentally at the time.

Many anaesthetists favoured A.C.E. mixture and one author in 1887 in the British Medical Journal considers the A.C.E. mixture, at the time, the best anaesthetic for general use and use in childbirth. He states one downside; the "excited" state of patients on regaining consciousness after the anaesthetic, due to the alcohol in the mixture. Another downside of the mixture, as with all anaesthetics at the time, was its high flammability.

Deaths have been known to occur from the mixture. Although, at the time, deaths from A.C.E. mixture were reported less in number than the deaths from chloroform or ether.

Other preparations
After widespread use of A.C.E. mixture, anaesthetists would try different mixtures for different patients and different procedures. C.E. Mixture omitted the alcohol and A.C. mixture omitted the ether. One particular doctor documents using equal parts of alcohol with choloroform for minor operations and chloroform with Eau de Cologne (which has a high content of alcohol) for dental procedures (to make a more pleasant experience).

Other mixtures were :
 * Richardson's mixture: 2 parts alcohol, 2 chloroform and 3 ether
 * Vienna mixture: 1 part chloroform, 3 ether
 * Billroth's mixture: 1 alcohol 1 ether and 3 chloroform
 * Linhart's Mixture: chloroform with 20% alcohol
 * Methylene ("Bichloride of methylene"): 30% methylic alcohol and 70% chloroform
 * Schleich's solutions for general anaesthesia (number one for light anaesthesia and number three for deep anaesthesia):
 * No 1: 45 parts chloroform, 180 parts sulphuric ether, 15 parts petroleum ether.
 * No 2: 45 parts chloroform, 150 parts sulphuric ether, 15 parts petroleum ether.
 * No 3: 30 parts chloroform, 80 parts sulphuric ether, 15 parts petroleum ether.
 * Wertheim's solution: 1 part chloroform, 1 part petroleum ether and 2 parts sulphuric ether

Usage in animal testing
A.C.E. Mixture was also used to anaesthetise animals, including in preparation for vivisection.

Method of administration
A.C.E. mixture could be given through drops (from a drop bottle ) on a piece of (a towel), in a Rendle's mask, a cone, or through an inhaler.

Inhalers included: Allis' inhaler, Junker's inhaler (with a funnel mask) for children, "Clover's" inhaler with bag removed (this inhaler has to be constantly lifted from the face to allow 'free air' to be admitted). Ellis proposed an inhaler to blend vapours in exact proportions, however it was impractical, but Dr. Gwathmey modified his idea and created a practical apparatus. Tyrrell created a similar idea called the 'Tyrrell's double-bottle method'.