Chloralum Hydratum
Chloralum · Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 4,563 chars · source ↗
General
Chloralum.
Hydrate of Chloral. C2 HCl3 OH2O. Solution; trituration.
Clinical
Anaemia. Angina pectoris. Apoplexy. Asthma. Bedsores. Bronchitis. Chorea. Conjunctivitis. Dropsy. Dysmenia. Enuresis. Erysipelas. Haemorrhagic diathesis. Heart, hypertrophy of; paralysis of. Hydrophobia. Keratitis. Labour, abnormal. Leucorrhoea. Night-terrors. Palpitation. Ptosis. Puerperal convulsions. Purpura. Urticaria.
Characteristics
Introduced as a hypnotic, Chloral soon showed that it possessed wide powers of disturbing the organism, and many persons (including the late Professor Tyndall) have been fatally poisoned by overdosing. The brain, eyes, urinary and sexual organs and skin are most affected. W. S.
Gee cured with it a terrific headache of several days' duration: dull, heavy aching in forehead; coming on each morning 8 a.m.; < sudden motion; < lying down; > in, open air.
The 6th gave great relief though it aggravated at first, the aggravation occurring ten minutes after each dose. One dose of the 25x cured permanently. A person under the influence of Chloral hears voices, sees visions of arches, &c., when in the dark or when the eyes are shut. Night-terrors in children have been cured with it.
The brain tissue is probably congested in the same way as the skin in the urticaria of the drug. Urticaria gives a good illustration of the effect of the drug on the minute tissues. The brain is congested; hard, full, pressing pains in head. Eyes injected; the eyeballs feel too large; lids swollen, heavy, can hardly lift them.
Asthma and wheezing respirations are probably due to an urticarious condition of the lung tissue. A symptom that is very significant is this: When lying on back, inspiration was through the nose, while expiration was blown from the lips as in apoplexy. The heart's action is increased, with oppression. Palpitation, hypertrophy.
Later there is paralysis of heart. Heart dilated or weakened, with peculiar fulness and lightness of chest and sense of emptiness in stomach. The sense of sinking and oppression at the pit of the stomach is marked and shows a profound action on the solar plexus. The insomnia for which Chloral is suited is that due to over-fatigue.
Snoring in sleep. Lying down <. Wants fanning; open air >. < Night and evening.
Relations
Antidoted by: Ammon., Atrop., Digit. (heart), Moschus, Electricity. Compare: Bell., Chlorof., Chi., and Opium in stertorous breathing and puffing out cheeks; Gels., Nux.; in urticaria, Astac.
Mind
Comatose for days, ending in cerebral congestion
Melancholia, idiocy, and insanity
Constantly hears voices
Hurried and excited, walking up and down the room conversing with imaginary beings.
Head
Hard, full pressing pains in head, long-lasting
Dull, heavy headache in occiput and forehead over eyes;
< moving about and lying down, slightly > by going into open air
Headache in forehead, extending to occiput
Headache over eyes running down into eyes;
< l. side; eyes feel constricted.
Eyes
Retinal hyperaesthesia
Dim sight
Eyelids feel too large
Burning in eyes and lids
Conjunctiva injected; great pain
Ulcer on cornea; phlyctenae; catarrhal ophthalmia: intense itching of inner canthi and edges of lids.
Urinary Organs
Enuresis, passes water in bed copiously without knowing it.
Female Sexual Organs
Pruritus during pregnancy
Chorea during pregnancy
Tedious labour; nervous, irritable, hysterical; pains apparently forcible have no effect
Puerperal convulsions.
Respiratory Organs
Gasping breathing and confusion of thought
Dyspnoea and suffocation, pressure at base of chest in front, urgent thirst
Slow respiration; imperceptible pulse
When lying on back, inspiration through nose, expiration blown from lips as in apoplexy.
Heart
Increased action with dyspnoea
Violent palpitation; hypertrophy with dilatation
Angina pectoris
Threatened paralysis.
Limbs
Foul-smelling foot-sweat.
Generalities
Anaemia and emaciation.—Coagulability of blood destroyed; haemorrhagic diathesis.—Bedsores.—Muscular prostration and somnolence.
Skin
Violent stinging-itching over whole body
Diffuse inflammatory redness like scarlatina
Urticaria, coming out at night, disappearing by day
Wheals come on suddenly from a chill; so long as she remains in the warmth is not troubled with them
Purpura haemorrhagica
Desquamation in patches
Bedsores
Dropsy.
Sleep
Insomnia from over-fatigue.—Night-terrors, esp. in teething children.
Fever
Sensation of heat all over body, particularly on face.