I 
HYDRATE OF CHLORAL, ETC. 761 
stance like porcelain. The crystals of hydrate of chloral are 
very soluble in water. Concentrated sulphuric acid will not 
affect them; they are resistent against acids, but alkalies de¬ 
compose the chloral. This reaction is very remarkable. 
Adding a small quantity of hydrate of sodium to a solution of 
chloral in water, chloroform will be formed in the shape of 
oily drops. Thus chloroform may be obtained of greater 
purity than by any other known method. The aqueous 
solution will also contain formiate of soda— 
C 4 HCl 302 +H 0 + Na 0 ,H 0 =C 2 HCl 3 +Na 0 ,C 2 H 03 + 2 aq. 
^___ _ ) V_/ . 'v___,,_ J 
-y- ^ V -y 
Chloral-hydrate Hydrate of Chloroform or 
sodium. or _ NaO.To03 + 2 aq. 
Perchloride Formiate of sodium, 
of fonuyl. 
<——> 
Th,Cl3. 
This change helps us to solve the problem how far sub¬ 
stances introduced into the body, and decomposing there, 
become active through their components, and to which of its 
components a drug owes its remedial properties. Chloral 
readily dissolves in water, and the solution is easily absorbed. 
The alkaline liquids of the body would therefore set chloro¬ 
form free in the tissues. The other component, the formic 
acid, from its comparatively small proportion, can have but 
very slight effect. 
A minute dose of chloral was sufficient to produce the 
symptoms of narcosis from chloroform in a young rabbit; 
the animal fell gradually asleep, but without the stage of 
excitement. Regular pulse and respiration were the only 
evidences of life. 
In a middle-sized rabbit complete hypnosis was produced 
during nine hours by an injection of seven grains of choral, 
which correspond to about three grains of chloroform. Expe¬ 
riments on frogs are still more conclusive. The first effect of 
chloral on frogs is a cataleptic stage, during which the animal 
may be placed and kept in any position, but reflex motion 
may be produced by irritation. In the next stage, however, 
no reflex motion can be effected. If the dose is not too large 
and fatal, the animal returns to its former condition. If, 
however, the dose is too large and the animal dies, the ven¬ 
tricles and the auricles will be found distended by blood. 
Death takes place from paralysis of the heart. The same 
effect has been observed in other animals. Liebreich con¬ 
cludes from these and other experiments that chloral at first 
paralyses the ganglionic cells of the brain and then those of 
