CHLORAL (from Gk. xXiop6s, chl4ros, green ish-yellow), A colorless oily liquid extensively used in medicine, in the form of its hydrate. It has a peculiar irritating smell, and boils at 97° C. Its specific gravity at 20° C. is 1.512. It is made on a large scale by the pro longed action of chlorine on ordinary alcohol; this yields first chloral alcoholate, which is then transformed into chloral by distilling with strong sulphuric acid at temperatures slightly below 100° C. When mixed with an equivalent quantity of water, chloral forms the hydrate CC1 which no longer contains the aldehyde group, C110, contained in chloral.
Chloral hydrate is a colorless crystalline sub stance freely soluble in water and melting at 57° C. When distilled with sulphuric acid, it is retransformed into chloral. Alkalies trans form chloral or its hydrate into chloroform. Chloral is a powerful antiseptic, and, if taken internally, acts as a powerful general depressant, especially depressing the heart and causing a slow, feeble, irregular pulse. It acts directly
on the brain, and, if administered in medicinal doses, produces sleep which is refreshing and does not seem to differ in any way front natural sleep. Frequent administration of chloral however, liable to cause what is known as chronic chloral poisoning, and may permanently affect the mind. In cases of poisoning from an overdose of chloral, sleep should he prevented by all means, a strong coffee solution should be injected into the rectum, etc. Chloral is often administered in tetanus, whooping-cough, incon tin•nce of urine. and other diseases. The medi cinal dose of chloral hydrate is from 5 to 20 grains. Chloral was discovered by Liebig in 1832, and Liebrei•h, in 1S69, was the first to use it as an amesthetic and hypnotic. Chloralamida and ehloralimide are chemically allied to chloral; these substances were recently introduced in medicine as substitutes for chloral.