CHLOEAL 317 



Temperature. — The temperature may be elevated at 

 first, but soon falls, owing to diminished heat production and 

 increased loss, through heart failure and vascular dilatation. 



Elimination.— Chloral is eliminated by the urine, in 

 part unchanged and in part as urochloralic acid. 



Meiaiolism. — Chloral in large doses leads to increased 

 destruction of the proteids of the body and imperfect oxida- 

 tion of their products, together with fatty degeneration of the 

 internal organs. These tissue changes are caused by the 

 production of urochloralic acid in the tissues. 



Summary. — Chloral is a local stimulant and antiseptic, 

 and relieves itching. It is a powerful depressant to the cere- 

 brum, vasomotor and respiratory centres, inferior cornua, 

 heart muscle and its ganglia. 



Acute Poisoning. — Large doses produce insensibility, 

 coma, and complete loss of muscular power, so that the 

 animal falls. There is general anaesthesia, and the pupils 

 dilate. The pulse is weak, at first freqtient, later infrequent 

 and irregular. The respiration may be primarily quickened, 

 but subsequently becomes slow, shallow and. irregular. The 

 animal sweats, sways, gapes aiid trembles and sometimes 

 falls to the ground, the sphincters are relaxed and involuntary 

 defEecation occurs, but recovery commonly follows. With 

 doses greater than 4 ounces, horses die in a generally anes- 

 thetic and paralyzed state. In man, death has followed the 

 ingestion of 10 grains of chloral, and several fatalities have 

 occurred after doses of 20 or 25 grains, although these are 

 exceptional cases. The fatal dose for dogs is said to be 

 from 2 to 6 drachms. 



Treatment. — Emetics and the stomach tube, shouting at 

 and beating the animal, external heat. Five times the ordi- 

 nary dose of strychnine and atropine subcutaneously. Strong, 

 hot coffee and alcohol by the rectum. Amyl nitrite inhala- 

 tions. 



Administration. — Chloral has been given intravenously, 

 subcutaneously, and ir_tratracheally, as well as by the mouth 

 and rectum. The common way of administering it is in 

 solution per orem or rectum. It may cause abscess if in- 

 jected under the skin, ■ or thrombi when thrown into a vein. 

 Experiments of Dr. Muir* appear to show that chloral may 



* Jour. Compar. Med. and Vet. Archives, April, May, 1900. 



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