Posted by Squiggles on July 18, 2006, at 12:02:11
In reply to Re: Desperate here..opinions on Chloral Hydrate Please » Crazy Horse, posted by Phillipa on July 18, 2006, at 11:31:40
I read in Healy's "The Creation of Psychopharmacology", p. 43, the following:
"Within mental hospitals, the pressing need was
for sedation.....Liebig and Wohler synthesized
chloral in 1832. In 1869, Otto Liebrich discovered
that chloral had more reliable sedative properties
than any other drug at that time. Liebrich's discovery led rapidly to chloral's widespread use for sedation [14]."
----------I think it was also used in dentistry in the
early days. However, the problem with
this sedative was what we would now say it has a
narrow therapeutic index. A little too much
and the respiratory failure would lead to death.
It is a dangerous drug:1: Vet Hum Toxicol. 1979;21 Suppl:53-6. Related Articles, Links
Chloral hydrate poisoning: its mechanism and therapy.
Gerretsen M, de Groot G, van Heijst AN, Maes RA.
Chloral hydrate is a dangerous hypnotic drug to prescribe. Lethal dose can be a small as 4 gm. Nowadays the effects on the circulatory system are most dangerous. Which metabolite is responsible remains to be investigated. Haemoperfusion seems to be best method of lowering plasma levels of the metabolites, although the clearance of trichloroacetic acid is considered lower than of trichloroethanol.
Publication Types:
* Case Reports
PMID: 505984 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Squiggles
poster:Squiggles
thread:667977
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