Chloral

a compound of chlorine with oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. The chloral of the druggist and physician is a compound of choral and water, and is termed hydrate of choral by the chemist. In this form it is a white, crystalline substance having an acrid taste and a pungent odor. In medicine, a dose of from five to twenty grains is sometimes given to produce sleep. It is thought that choral, introduced into the system, is acted upon by the alkali of the blood in such a manner as to liberate chloroform, which acts directly on the nerves of the brain. An overdose of chloral overdoes the quieting process and paralyzes the brain, the heart, and the lungs, and brings on death. Chloral is a standard remedy for insomnia, but it should on no account be taken, except under the advice of a competent physician.