A study of halothane-diethyl ether azeotrope and the Oxford miniature vaporizer

The performances of an Oxford miniature vaporizer (OMV) and a Fluotec Mark III vaporizer filled with an azeotropic mixture of halothane and diethyl ether were studied. Gas concentrations were estimated using an EMMA gas analyser and a MIRAN spectrophotometer. Calibration tables for both vaporizers were derived. In a small clinical series with air as the carrier gas, to which a small amount of oxygen was added, the azeotrope was found to be a satisfactory anaesthetic agent, giving a short awakening time and an almost pain-free postoperative course.