362 THE HUMAN BODY. 



more common than the opium habit, and, like it, more fre- 

 ^aent among women than men. 



Chloral was, on its discovery a few years ago, heralded 

 as a wonderfully safe and certain promoter of sleep, and al- 

 leviator of pain. Medical men have since learned that it is 

 by no means so harmless a drug as they once believed; but 

 the general public do not seem to have had their eyes 

 opened to its danger. A great many preparations of it 

 have been put on the market, and aru sold in drug-stores 

 to all comers. The result is that many persons who would 

 hesitate to take opium without medical advice use chloral, 

 believing it harmless. 



Chloral, taken habitually, is at least as mischievous as 

 opium. It should be forbidden by law to retail it in any 

 form except on the prescription of a physician. 



The chloral habit is acquired with great ease, and is very 

 hard to break. The first phenomena of chloral disease 

 (chloralism) are these: The digestion is greatly impaired; 

 the tongue is dry and furred; there is nausea; sometimes 

 vomiting, and a constant feeling of oppression from wind 

 on the stomach. 



Next, nervous and circulatory disturbances occur. The 

 temper becomes irritable, the Will weak; the hands and legs 

 tremulous; the heart-beat irregular; the face easily flushed. 

 Sleep becomes impossible without use of the drug: when 

 obtained it is troubled, and the person awakes unrested. 



In later stages the blood is seriously altered. Its color- 

 ing matter is dissolved, and soaks through the walls of the 



What have medical men lately learned about chloral? Why 

 do so many people take chloral without medical advice? 



Describe the first symptoms of chlonilism. 



What are the symptoms in more advanced chloralism? What in 

 the latest stages? 



