HYDRATE  OF  BROMAL. 
527 
bromal,  according  to  the  observations  detailed,  when  adminis- 
tered to  animals,  undergoes  a  similar  change  to  that  undergone 
bj  chloral,  being  converted  by  the  alkalies  of  the  blood  into 
bromoform.  But  this  change  goes  on  slowly,  for  at  the  end  of  an 
hour  and-a-half  there  was  found  in  the  blood,  in  addition  to  bro- 
moform, still  some  undecomposed  bromal.  The  substance  is 
further  oxidized  and  evacuated  in  the  urine  as  bromide.  The 
symptoms  produced  by  bromal  on  animals  (frogs,  rabbits,  guinea- 
pigs,)  were  first  a  stage  of  restlessness,  followed  by  imperfect 
sleep  and  angethesia,  and  finally  dyspnoea  and  death  with  or 
without  convulsions.  After  large  doses,  both  in  frogs  and  rab- 
bits, the  heart  was  found  after  death  relaxed  and  distended  
whereas,  after  smaller  doses,  it  was  contracted.  In  the  former 
case  there  is  probably  direct  paralysis  of  the  heart  by  the  bro- 
moform, such  as  occurs  after  large  doses  of  chloroform.  The 
preliminary  stage  of  restlessness,  which  has  no  equivalent  after 
administration  of  chloral,  is  ascribed  to  the  action  of  the  bromal 
aldehyde  itself,  the  decomposition  occurring,  as  stated  above 
more  slowly  than  is  the  case  with  chloral.  The  author  observed 
a  stage -of  restlessness,  after  a  hypnotic  dose  of  chloral,  in  a  pa- 
tient suffering  under  gout,  and  he  ascribed  this  to  the  acid  state 
of  the  blood  preventing  the  usual  decomposition  into  chloroform. 
With  this  view  he  administered  alkalies  to  the  patient,  and  after 
a  few  days  the  same  dose  of  chloral  produced  the  usual  hypnotic 
effect.  Proceeding  from  this,  he  applied  the  same  principle  in 
his  experiments  with  bromal.  Having  injected  carbonate  of 
soda  subcutaneously  in  rabbits,  he  then  injected  the  hydrate  of 
bromal,  and  found  that  the  stage  of  restlessness  was  entirely 
absent.  The  author  has  administered  bromal  to  man  in  only  a 
few  cases.  He  has  found  good  effects  from  it  in  epilepsy,  and 
in  soothing  the  pains  of  tabes  dorsalis.  The  method  of  admin- 
istration which  he  has  ultimately  employed  is,  first,  in  the  morn- 
ing and  at  mid-day  a  powder  containing  about  14  grains  sodae 
bicarb. ;  then  in  the  evening  two  to  four  pills,  containing  each 
from  J  to  IJ  grain  of  bromal. — Medical  Press  and  Circular, 
Dublin,  Aug.  24. 
