716 
CHLORAL AN ANTIDOTE OE STRYCHNIA. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—I yesterday had an opportunity of testing the accuracy of the statement 
that chloral is an antidote of strychnine. A large spaniel bitch of mine picked 
up some bread-and-butter that had been prepared with Battle’s killer for the 
destruction of mice, and ate an uncertain quantity of it. The servant who saw 
the dog eat it thought it of little consequence,' and did not mention it to me, so 
that the first intimation I had of it was the dog’s being seized with violent 
tetanic spasms, which first manifested themselves at 2.40 p.m. I at once at¬ 
tempted to administer an emetic of tartarized antimony, but succeeded in 
getting her to swallow not more than three grains, which had no immediate 
effect. 
At 3.30, the dog apparently dying, it occurred to me to try chloral. A 
solution was prepared of one drachm of the hydrate in one ounce of water, and 
of this a teaspoonful was administered every few minutes when an opportunity 
presented itself. Doubtless not less than a third part was wasted, as the least 
excitement brought on a violent spasm. The odour of chloroform was soon 
apparent in the dog’s breath, and a manifest improvement was simultaneously 
observed in the less rigid condition of the body generally. 
After half an hour her state had so much improved that I considered her as 
good as cured. Such, however, was not the case, for the spasms soon after re¬ 
turned, but with mitigated severity. I therefore administered half a drachm 
more of the hydrate in the same manner as before, and with the same results. 
Two hours after the first dose of chloral all symptoms of tetanus had disap¬ 
peared, the dog appearing a little drowsy and fatigued, but not sufficiently so 
to cause sleep. Notwithstanding that not less than one drachm of pure hydrate 
of chloral had been taken, she did not show the slightest tendency to coma. 
As soon as she was well enough to run about, the emetic took effect, relieving 
her stomach of a considerable quantity of half-digested food. 
At 12 p.m. her pups were allowed to suckle, and, strange to say, no injurious 
results to them followed. I scarcely expected the poison would, by that time, 
have been so completely eliminated. 
Of course, in sending you this, I do not imagine that my experience is of 
much scientific use, it being altogether out of line ; yet this much can be said, 
that the account is entirely free from the unintentional exaggeration of the 
inventor, who so often sees what he wants to see, although no one else can. 
Thomas B. Groves. 
Weymouth^ April loth, 1870. 
SO-CALLED CARBOLATE OE IODINE. 
to the editor of the pharmaceutical journal. 
Sir,—-In the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal ’ of this month there are some observa¬ 
tions by Walter G. Smith, M.B. Dub., upon “the so-called carbolate of 
iodine.” As I am the only chemist in Ireland who makes this preparation, and 
advertises it, his remarks evidently apply to me. I wrote to him to give me 
an answer to the three following questions, but received only evasive replies:—■ 
1st. Am I right in concluding it is to me you allude in that paper, although 
my name is not mentioned ? 
w 
2nd. Where did you obtain “ the so-called carbolate of iodine”? 
3rd. Who is the individual that told you that I added ammonia to decolorize 
the tincture of iodine ? 
