164 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§ 196. 
The quantity of chloroform likely to be recovered from cases of death 
by inhalation is never large. Sedya 1 recovered a total of 26 mgrms. 
from a case of death at the beginning of narcosis ; this was distributed 
as follows :—7-2 mgrms. per 1000 grms. stomach and contents ; 2 mgrms. 
liver, kidneys, and spleen ; 4 mgrms. heart, lungs, and blood; and 4-2 
mgrms. brain. Fischer, in a death from complete narcosis, recovered 
148 mgrms. of chloroform, distributed as follows :—99-5 mgrms. per 
1000 grms. of stomach, intestine, and contents; 76-8 mgrms. heart, 
lungs, and blood ; and 164 mgrms. brain. 
On the other hand, when chloroform has been taken in a liquid form, 
rapid death ensuing, a fair amount may be found in the stomach. Steven¬ 
son recovered, in a case of this kind, 0'73 grm. of pure chloroform. 
VI.—Chloral. 
§ 196. Chloral Hydrate (C 2 HC1 3 0, H 2 0) is made by mixing equivalent 
quantities of anhydrous chloral 2 and water. The purest chloral is in 
the form of small, granular, sugar-like crystals. When less pure, the 
crystals are larger. These melt into a clear fluid at from 48° to 49°, 
and the melted mass solidifies again at 48-9°. Chloral boils at 97-5° ; 
it is not very soluble in cold chloroform, requiring four times its weight. 
The only substance with which chloral hydrate may well be confused is 
chloral alcoholate (C 4 H 7 C1 3 0 2 ), but chloral alcoholate melts at a lower 
temperature (45°), and boils at a higher (113-5°) ; it is easily soluble 
in cold chloroform, and inflames readily, whereas chloral scarcely burns. 
The B.P. test for alcoholate is as follows :—1 grm. of chloral hydrate is 
warmed with 6 c.c. of water and 0-5 c.c. of solution of sodium hydroxide, 
and sufficient N/10 solution of iodine added to produce a brown tint. On 
setting aside for an hour there should be no yellow crystals formed 
( i.e . no iodoform). 
Chloral hydrate completely volatilises, and can be distilled in a 
vacuum without change. If, however, boiled in air, it undergoes slow 
decomposition, the first portions of the distillate being overhydrated, the 
last underhydrated ; the boiling-point, therefore, undergoes a continuous 
rise. The amount of hydration of a commercial sample is of practical 
importance ; if too much water is present, the chloral deliquesces, espe¬ 
cially in warm weather ; if too little, it may become acid, and in part 
insoluble from the formation of meta-chloral (C 6 H 3 C1 9 0 3 ). Chloral 
hydrate, by the action of the volatile or fixed alkalies, is decomposed, an 
alkaline formate and chloroform resulting, thus:— 
C 2 HCl 3 0,H 2 0+NaH0 NaCH0 2 + H 2 0+CHC1 3 . 
1 Lesser, Vierteljahrsschr. f. ger. Med., 1899. 
2 Anhydrous chloral (C 2 HC1 3 0) is an oily liquid, of specific gravity 1-502 at 18°; it 
boils at 97-7°. It is obtained by the prolonged action of chlorine on absolute alcohol. 
