Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Aug.,  1885. 
Incompatibility  of  Chloral  Hydrate, 
371 
dominated,  but  it  was  modified  by  the  presence  of  ginger,  camphor  and 
anise,  all  of  which  could  be  recognized.  On  shaking  the  two  liquids 
together  a  somewhat  turbid  mixture  resulted ;  on  standing,  the  two 
layers  formed  again. 
The  prescription  was  then  made  up,  with  the  result  that  tlie  ingre- 
dients separated  into  two  layers,  apparently  in  the  same  way  with  the 
mixture  sent  for  examination.  The  writer  could  discover  no  practical 
difference  in  the  two  samples,  and  therefore  concluded  that  some  decom- 
position had  taken  place. 
Anhydrous  chloral  (Trichlor-aldehyde  CgHClgO)  is  a  thin,  oily 
liquid,  which  will  combine  with  an  equivalent  quantity  of  water  to 
form  chloral  hydrate  aHClgO,^!^. 
Chloral  also  combines  with  an  equivalent  of  alcohol  to  form  Chloral 
alcoholate  C2HC]30,C2H^O.  Chloral  alcoholate  forms  white  needle- 
shaped  crystals,  is  much  less  soluble  in  water  than  chloral  hydrate,  has 
a  more  disagreeable  taste  and  is  harsher  in  its  action  upon  the  system. 
When  chloral  hydrate  was  introduced  into  the  practice  of  medicine, 
the  writer  was  one  of  the  first  to  make  it  in  this  country,  and  incident- 
ally prepared  and  studied  chloral  alcoholate ;  two  or  three  physician 
friends  made  trials  of  it,  but  found,  that  while  it  acted  as  an  hypnotic, 
it  was  more  disagreeable  to  the  taste  and  harsh  in  its  action,  leaving 
unpleasant  secondary  effects.  Knowing  that  chloral  hydrate  is  changed 
into  the  alcoholate  by  solution  in  alcohol,  it  occurred  to  the  writer  that 
a  similar  decomposition  had  taken  place  in  the  mixture  in  question,  the 
alcohol  being  furnished  by  the  paregoric  elixir  called  for  in  the  pre- 
scription. 
The  following  experiments  were  then  made  with  a  view  to  prove  the 
supposition : 
These  articles  formed  a  perfect  solution  which  did  not  separate  on 
standing. 
Exp.  1 .  Potassium  bromide 
60  grains. 
60  grains. 
6  tluiclraclims. 
6  fluidrachms. 
Chloral  hydrate. 
Water  '  
Syrui)  of  ginger. 
Exp.  2.  Potassium  bromide. 
60  grains. 
60  grains. 
Chloral  hydrate. 
Water  
Alcohol  
Syrup  of  ginger. 
3  fluidrachms. 
3  fluidrachms. 
6  fluidrachms. 
