Three grains of the drug produced poi,onous symptoms in a child of G years: there was trembling, convulsions, and later a- cataleptiform condition which lasted two hours. Bardet (Le Bull. Med., Feb. IS, '94).
Nocturnal paralysis followed a dose of 3 grains administered to an adult. Fere (Rev. Neurolog., No. 6, '94).
Trembling and intellectual stupor ob served in adults. Morel-Lavallee (Le Bull. Med., Feb. 7, '94) ; Villeprand (ibid.); Talamon (La Med. Mod., Jan. 27, '94).
• Complete loss of memory in one in stance after the ingestion of 4 grains; intense prurigo as the result of a like dose in another; symptoms of paresis with threatened asphyxia in a third. Lombroso (Riforma Med., No. 131, '93).
The ing,estion of 4 grains of chloralose in two hours induced complete insensi bility and coma; the pulse was ISO, the heart-beats imperceptible. face and ex tremities cyanosed, epileptoid movements of limbs, and cold perspiration. Death seemed imminent. Reudu (Le Bull. Med., Mar. 10, '95).
Five or six similar cases were published in La Medeeine Moderne during 1894. Several were reported to the Societe de Therapeutique. Russian physicians, not ably Chemelewski,added to the category. I-lerzen (Revue Med. de la Suisse Rom., June 20, '95); Delabrosse (La Nor mandie Med., No. 15, '95) ; and Dufour (Marseille-med., Dec. 15, '95) corroborate , as the result of personal experiences.
The drug has one very important defect in that it occasionally provokes toxic symptoms, which manifest themselves by an exaggeration of the reflex excita bility of the medulla oblongata, amount ing almost to convulsions; in addition to this, it is very difficult to decide upon the proper dose, as its action varies not only in different persons, but even in the same person. Foster ("Prac. Therap.," vol. i, '96).
Chloral-hydrocyanale has the action of the cyanides; it is about one-seventh as strong as prussic acid. It is an excellent preservative of solutions intended for hypodermic use.
Chloral-caff eine has been introduced for the treatment, hypodermically, of sciatica and other rheumatic affections, and all cases of irritation of the eral nervous system. It has been em
ployed subcutaneously in doses of from 2 to 5 grains, and is said to be painless.
Its physiological action has not, as yet, been definitely worked out.
Chlaral-carbanride, or chloral-urethane, is hypnotic, partakes of the action of chloral-hydrate, but is uncertain in ef fects, disagreeable to take, and is often followed by nausea and disorder of cli c, se tion.
Hypnal, or chloral-antipyrine, has all the properties of chloral-hydrate, in cluding all the objectionable features of the latter, and depresses the heart more seriously. It is claimed that the pyrine renders it analgesic, and there fore will induce sleep in the presence of pain; but such action is uncertain and ephemeral.
Butyl-hypnal apparently differs in no way from the preceding.
Chloretone, a new preparation, is solu ble to the extent of 1 per cent. in cold water. It is an hypnotic and an anal gesic, a 1-per-cent. solution being equal to a 4-per-cent. solution of cocaine. The customary dose is from 6 to 1S grains, but there is a case on record in .which 10S grains were taken at one time, which had no other effect than to cause the patient to sleep for about three days. Chloretone passes unmodified from the digestive tract to the blood. (R. W. Wilcox.) Chloretone has little or no effect upon the pulse, respiration, and blood-pressure for hours, but eventually, if the dose be large enough. these become depressed and the animal dies, the heart stopping be fore respiration. Chloretone has a pro foundly depressing effect upon the body temperature, lowering this more than any other drug,r, with the possible excep tion of alcohol. This depressing effect is evident before the animal is even drowsy. and is in ratio to the dose given.
It may be partially prevented by keep ing the animal very warm. Any drug which can exert such an effect upon the total heat of the body is one which re quires to be, used with great caution in medical practice. This is doubly impor tant, as the drug is very slowly got rid of; no antidote, with the exception, per haps, of external warmth, is known. Rudolph (Can. Pract. and Review, June, 1900).