[5] It was created by the chemist Alfred Einhorn who gave the chemical the trade name Novocaine, from the Latin nov- (meaning "new") and -caine, a common ending for alkaloids used as anesthetics.

Procaine, an ester anesthetic, is metabolized in the plasma by the enzyme pseudocholinesterase through hydrolysis into para-amino benzoic acid (PABA), which is then excreted by the kidneys into the urine.

It has likewise been recommended for treatment of inadvertent intra-arterial injections (10 ml of 1% procaine), as it helps relieve pain and vascular spasm.

The depression causes the nervous system to become hypersensitive, producing restlessness and shaking, leading to minor to severe convulsions.

[citation needed] Studies on animals have shown the use of procaine led to the increase of dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain.

About one in 3000 white North Americans is homozygous (i.e. has two copies of the abnormal gene) for the most common atypical form of the enzyme pseudocholinesterase,[12][13] and do not hydrolyze ester anesthetics such as procaine.