Benzocaine occurs in two forms: a crystalline salt (benzocaine HCl) that is soluble in water at 0.4 g/L and a nonwater-soluble basic form that must be dissolved in ethyl alcohol at a concentration of 0.2 g/ml before it is sufficiently soluble in water to create a functional induction dose. The HCl salt of benzocaine can be prepared as a stock solution of 100 g/L, which should be stored in a dark container and protected from light. As with tricaine, benzocaine should be buffered with sodium bicarbonate to raise the pH to 7.0–7.5.