Chloral a liquid first prepared by Justus Liebig by passing dry chlorine gas through absolute alcohol to saturation, and still prepared in a similar manner. When mixed with water it readily yields chloral hydrate), a white crystalline substance, which, in contact with alkalies, yields chloroform and formic acid. Chloral kills by paralysing the action of the heart, but is often employed in medicine. It is a hypnotic as well as an anaesthetic, and is frequently substituted for morphia. It has been successfully used in delirium tremens, St Vitus's dance, poisoning by strychnia, in tetanus, and in some cases of asthma and whooping-cough. It should be taken with great caution and under medical advice, as an extra dose may produce serious symptoms and even death. The treatment of poisoning by chloral is to keep the person warm by means of blankets, warm bottles; etc. Warm stimulating drinks should also be administered, such as hot coffee, hot tea, negus, etc. It has been shown that an animal kept warm by wrapping in cotton wool recovered from a dose of chloral that otherwise would have killed it. Research Chloral
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
SciTech
Research Chloral
