Chloral Hydrate.
CHARACTERISTICS.
Emotional excitability, insomnia, hallucinations and physical prostration. Sleeplessness and excitement due to physical, mental or emotional exhaustion. Sleeplessness, hallucinations and exhaustion in delirium tremens and acute mania. Trismus, laryngismus stridulus, chorea.
TOXIC EFFECTS.
Mental weakness and irritability. Emotional excitability. Eyes bright, speech hurried and excited. Persistent insomnia. Hallucinations and horrid dreams. Melancholia.1. Deranged digestion. Muscular weakness and inco-ordination.2. Heat formation diminished, circulation depressed. Pallor, feeble pulse, cold extremities.3.
DOSE.
The usual dose is from five to twenty grains. Death has been caused by a dose of ten grains and for this reason care should be taken in testing the reactive powers of each patient. The chloral habit is easily acquired and must be zealously guarded against.
THERAPEUTIC USES.
Sleeplessness due to physical exhaustion.1-2. (Five to ten grain doses to be repeated in an hour).
Sleeplessness due to exhaustion from prolonged mental application or emotional excitement.1-2. (Avoid chloral habit).
Sleeplessness with exhaustion following acute diseases.1-2.
Sleeplessness associated with acute mania of the puerperal state.1-2. (Suppository per rectum containing from ten to twenty grains).
Delirium tremens. Deranged digestion, cool skin, muscular tremors and inco-ordination, persistent insomnia, hallucinations.1-2-3. (Small doses).
Insanity: emotional excitability, insomnia, hallucinations and physical prostration.1-2. (Satisfactory for occasional prescription, but continued use aggravates all the conditions).
Sea-sickness.2-3. (Fifteen to thirty grains every four hours).
Sickness of pregnancy with little vomiting. Dizziness, faintness, and repugnance to food. 1-2-3.
Cholera morbus. Cramps, coldness of the surface, cold breath.3. (Five grains hypodermically. Painful).
TO CAUSE MUSCULAR RELAXATION.
Tetanus. (Fifteen to thirty grain doses).
Chorea. (To prevent exhaustion).
Trismus nascentium. (One or two grain doses).
Laryngismus stridulus. (Two grain doses three times per day to child six month old).
Hiccup.
Convulsions in children. (Five grains in suppository, given per rectum).
Irregular and excessive muscular action in parturition. (Fifteen grains, to be repeated in twenty minutes).
