Chloral

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Chloral \Chlo"ral\, n. [Chlorine + alcohol.]
     1. (Chem.) A colorless oily liquid, {CCl3.CHO}, of a pungent
        odor and harsh taste, obtained by the action of chlorine
        upon ordinary or ethyl alcohol.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Med.) Chloral hydrate.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  chloral hydrate \chloral hydrate\ n.
     1. a chemical substance ({CCl3.CH(OH)2}) which is a hydrate
        of trichloroacetaldehyde. It crystallizes as white
        monoclinic plates, obtained by treating chloral with
        water. It produces sleep when taken internally or
        hypodermically, and is used in medicine as a hypnotic and
        sedative; -- called also {chloral}
  
     Note: It may be habit-forming, and is a controlled substance
           listed in the U. S. Code of Federal Regulations. It is
           sometimes used to render a person unconscious for
           illegal or nefarious purposes, and in this use, a
           concentrated solution is one of the agents called
           {knockout drops}.
           [PJC]