CHLOROFORM. 
161 
§§ 192, I93-] 
which, when inhaled in a given time, will produce death, is unknown ; 
for all depends upon the greater or less admixture of air, and probably 
on other conditions. It has been laid down that the inhalation of 
chloroform should be so managed as to ensure that the air breathed shall 
never contain more than 3-9 per cent, of chloroform. Fifteen drops have 
caused death ; but Taylor, on the other hand, records a case of tetanus, 
treated at Guy’s Hospital, in which no less a quantity than 700 grms. 
(22*5 ozs.) was inhaled in twenty-four hours. Frequent breathing of 
chloroform in no way renders the individual safe from fatal accident. 
A lady, 1 having repeatedly taken chloroform, was anaesthetised by the 
same agent merely for the purpose of having a tooth extracted. About 
6 grms. (1-5 drm.) were poured on a cloth, and after nine to ten inspira¬ 
tions dangerous symptoms began—rattling breathing and convulsive 
movements—and, despite all remedies, she died. 
(b) In the liquid form. —In medical literature there are many cases 
in which chloroform in a liquid form has been taken for the purpose of 
suicide. The first effects are those of intense local irritation. There 
is great pain in the mouth, throat, and stomach ; even blistering and 
erosion may be caused in the tissues which have been in contact with the 
liquid. Following this there is a feeling of warmth, and then sudden 
insensibility. The usual time elapsing before full insensibility is ten 
minutes, but in some cases less. On the other hand, the action may be 
much delayed; e.g., in an American case, 2 a woman, after swallowing 
44 grms., walked for an hour in the public streets before becoming 
unconscious. Should the patient recover from the coma, gastritis and 
enteritis usually follow and are often fatal ; life has been prolonged 
from these secondary effects eight days. The minimum amount of 
liquid chloroform likely to destroy an adult seems from recorded cases 
to be approximately 25 grms. 
§ 192. Chronic chloroform poisoning is not unknown. It leads to 
various ailments, and seems to have been in one or two instances the 
cause of insanity. 
Buchner records the case of an opium-eater, who afterwards took to 
chloroform ; he suffered from periodic mania. In a remarkable case 
related by Meric, the patient, who had also first been a morpliine-eater, 
took 350 grms. of chloroform in five days by inhalation ; as often as he 
woke he would chloroform himself again to sleep. In this case there 
was also mental disturbance, and instances in which chloroform produced 
marked mental aberration are recorded by Bohm 3 and by Vigla. 4 
§ 193. Post-mortem Appearances. —The lesions found on section 
are neither peculiar to, nor characteristic of, chloroform poisoning. It 
has been noted that bubbles of gas are, from time to time, to be 
1 Edin. Med. Journ., 1855. 2 Smith, Phil. Med. News, 1891. 
3 Ziomssen’s Handbuch, Bd. xv. 4 Med. Times, 1855. 
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