CHLOROFORM, or the TERCHLO'RIDE OF FORMYLE (C211C13), was originally discov ered by Soubeiran, and experimented upon by Dumas, and was long known only to scientific chemists as a rare organic body, possessing interest from being one of a series of organic substances, but not known to possess any properties likely to call it into use, or even likely to let it be known by name to the general public. The remarkable power, however, which it possesses of producing antesthesia, has led to the preparation of C. on a very extensive scale. The materials employed are alcohol, water, and bleaching powder, and the proportions are four parts of bleaching powder, to which sufficient water is added to make a thin paste, and thereafter one part of spirits of wine; the whole is introduced into a capacious retort, which must not be more than half filled, and heat being applied, the C., accompanied by water and a little alcohol, distills over. As the C. is heavier than water, and is not readily miscible therewith, two layers of liquid are obtained in the receiver—the upper being water and alcohol, and the lower being chloroform. The upper liquid being cautiously poured off, the C. is agitated with fused carbonate of potash, which abstracts the remaining traces of water, and on subsequent redistillation the C. is obtained pure and ready for use.
i C. is a highly limpid, mobile, colorless liquid, which is very volatile, has a charac teristic and pleasant odor, and an agreeable sweetish taste. It has a specific gravity of
nearly 1500 (water = 1000), being thus half as heavy again as water, and boils at 140 F. It is not inflammable in the ordinary sense of the term, as it will not take fire when a light is brought down upon it; but when thrown on red-hot coals, it burns with a green flame, evolving much smoke. It is slightly soluble in water, but more readily mixes with alcohol and ether. It dissolves camphor, amber, copal, and other resins, wax, caoutchouc, black and red sealing wax, iodine and bromine, as well as strychnine and other alkaloids. Its purity may be determined by placing some on the palm of the hand, and allowing it to evaporate, when no alcohOlic or other odorous substance should be even momentarily recognized; and by agitation with oil of vitriol, when, on settling, the C. should readily swim on the surface of the vitriol, and the two layers of liquid remain colorless. The employment of C. as an anesthetic has already been considered under ANiESTHESIA; but it may be here repeated that C. is a substance that cannot be too cautiously dealt with, and that it should never be administered except in the pres ence and by the sanction of a medical practitioner. When skillfully given, it is among the safest of all amesthetics, and the greatest boon that chemistry has bestowed on suf fering humanity.