EFFECT OF WARMTH IN PREVENTING 

 DEATH FROM CHLORAL. 



(Eromihe Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, vol. 8, May 1874, pp. 332 to 3 9 ) 



Since chloral was first brought into notice, and its action inves- 

 tigated by Liebrcich, it has been made the subject of numerous 

 experiments, and lias not only proved a most useful medicine 

 but a valuable aid to physiological research. During the stay 

 made in this country by Professor Strieker four years ago he 

 used chloral frequently as an an^iesthetic while making some 

 experiments with Dr. Bardon Sanderson on the circulation in 

 mammals. At his suggestion I made the following experi- 

 ments as wtII as many others which it is quite unneces- 

 sary to give at length, as they simply confirm the observations 

 of Liebreich and others. The general results were that the 

 subcutaneous injection of a solution of chloral induced sleep^ 

 which was light and readily broken if the dose were small, but 

 passed into coma if the dose were large. In dogs considerable 

 restlessness was observed before sleep came on. The power of 

 muscular co-ordination was affected in dogs before sopor was 

 induced, so that they staggered and fell when attempting to 

 walk either of their own accord or in obedience to a call. A 

 similar loss of co-ordination was observed in rabbits, but in 

 general they and guinea-pigs sat quietly al'ter the administra- 

 tion of the chloral, and thus the motor affection was less percep- 

 tible in them than in dogs. In dogs the respiration occasion- 

 ally became very rapid immediately after the subcutaneous, 

 injection of chloral, but it became slow after the animal began 

 to exhibit symptoms of drowsiness. In rabbits and guinea-pigs 

 the number of respirations was also diminished, but a pre- 

 liminary acceleration was not observed in them. The pulse 

 was not affected to the same extent as the respiration, and the 

 heart always continued to beat after the respiratory move- 



