Hydrate of chloral / by Charles W. Parsons.

  • Parsons, Charles W. (Charles William), 1823-1893
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hydrate of chloral / by Charles W. Parsons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    The history, since then, has been one of gradual improve- ment on the whole, but with attacks of neuralgia in the lower limbs nearly every week, generally traced to fatigue or mental agitation. There have, also, been several distressing compli- cations at different times. Chloral nearly always produces sleep within an hour or so. The established dose for her is 15 grains, repeated in an hour, if necessary. Sometimes, when a severe attack has been threatened, 30 grains were given at once. On one occasion, the pain continued severe through the night, and six doses of about 15 grains each were given within 12£ hours; soon after the last dose, she went to sleep, and slept most of the time, rousing to take liquid nourishment through the next day. No alarming symptoms followed. This repetition of chloral is followed by dullness of mind, and redness of the eye lids. Various tonics have been given ; quinine being continued in moderate doses for months ; but no marked effect has been observed from treatment, excepting nourishment with wine given steadily and often, and chloral when needed as an anodyne. Valerianate of ammonia has also acted well as an anodyne, in the absence of severe pain ; and has sometimes enabled us to do without the chloral, which is reserved for the more urgent occasions. [ For a few months after this paper was read, this patient continued to improve somewhat, becoming strong enough to ride out on pleasant days. She then slowly grew worse again ; suffering alternately from neuralgia in the limbs, and an inde- scribable sinking and distress in the gastric region. Early in April, 1872, she again required large doses of chloral, with in- halation of chloroform. It has lately appeared that more comfort could be got, with less disturbance of intellect, by the occasional inhalation of chloroform, in small quantities, than by the use of chloral. The case is the most severe and obsti- nate specimen of neuralgia I have ever had to treat. It has been increased, if not caused, by the long continuance, from erroneous hygienic opinions, of too abstemious diet]
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