The first preparation of vinyl ether was reported in 1887 by Semmler.

Vinyl ether has a rapid onset with little excitement upon induction.

Cretcher et al. reported, in 1925, what would become the foundation for one industrial method used to produce vinyl ether.

During anesthesia vinyl ether has no particularly wonderful properties and is harder to control than other agents.

Two simple enol ethers are methyl vinyl ether and 2,3-dihydrofuran.

(Major, 1937) Despite inhibitors manufacturers warned that once opened vinyl ether should be used quickly.

The allyl vinyl ether 12 is then refluxed in xylene.

Vinyl ether was used infrequently for long operations because of toxicity, cost, and superior alternatives.

This reagent is useful for the conversion of esters into vinyl ethers.

They reported the experience of Gelfan himself as he was anesthetized with vinyl ether via the open drop technique.

Like many other ethers vinyl ether is also liable to form peroxides upon exposure to air and light.

In the United States, vinyl ether was sold under the trade name Vinethene.

(Finer, 1965) During anesthesia vinyl ether can cause some patients to twitch.

Vinyl ether had some success but its usage was limited by aforementioned concerns of liver toxicity and degradation upon long term storage.

Overall, vinyl ether's only strengths compared to ethyl ether are favorable induction and recovery.

Therefore, vinyl ether was commonly used as a preliminary anesthetic before administration of diethyl ether.

Additionally, vinyl ether was only used for short operations or analgesia, e.g. dentistry and obstetrics.

In addition to GTP he developed a living cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers.

In practice, vinyl ether proved to have favorable properties that allowed its brief usage as an anesthetic; on the other hand, it left many unimpressed.

One such pharmacologist, Chauncey Leake, was particularly captivated by the then theoretical vinyl ether.

While anesthetic machines were numerous during the years of vinyl ether's popularity, the simplistic 'open drop technique' also maintained its prevalence.

Methyl vinyl ether is an organic compound with the chemical formula CHO.

The formal DA mechanism for the reaction of acrolein and methyl vinyl ether is shown in the figure to the right.

Aggravated by the issue of potentially toxic degradation over long-term storage and possible hepatic toxicity, vinyl ether began to leave the operating theater.

Semmler's product which boiled at 39 C was found to be sulfur free and molecular weight determinations were theoretically in accordance with vinyl ether.