Made from chloroform, expressed oil of almond, tragacanth and water.
Should contain four per cent of chloroform. A good agent and vehicle for
diarrhoea and vermifuge mixtures for small animals.
DOSE.--Dogs, 2 dr. to 1 oz.; cats, ¹⁄₂ to 1 dr.
ACTIONS.--Chloroform is a topical irritant, antiseptic, parasiticide,
carminative, antispasmodic and analgesic. Full doses quickly and
powerfully paralyze the cerebro-spinal nervous system; chloroform kills
by paralyzing the heart and respiration; the latter effects are most
rapidly produced when the drug is inhaled. Chloroform is the general
anaesthetic most used for veterinary purposes except for dogs.
Externally it is rubefacient if confined or even suppurant. It also acts
as a refrigerant, anodyne and local anaesthetic if not confined. It
penetrates the skin very readily and on this account is commonly used in
liniments to aid in the absorption of other medicines.
Chloroform compared to ether is much more irritating to the mucous
membrane, and causes violent gastro-enteritis, if swallowed undiluted;
it is less stimulating and more depressing to the heart and circulation.
For inhalation it requires much more air; is less irritant to the air
passages than ether; is uninflammable, more pleasant, more prompt in
action, has a shorter stage of excitement, causes a more profound
narcosis, and is not so nauseating as ether and is cheaper. Statistics
show it to be five times more fatal than ether.
The results of various experiments show that chloroform and ether both
act in the same manner upon the heart and respiration, paralyzing the
latter first; but chloroform acts much more quickly and powerfully than
ether in both directions. But when chloroform is inhaled in a
concentrated form it generally paralyzes the heart first.
USES.--Chloroform should be used as an aid in painful and prolonged
cases of parturition, especially where you have tumultuous contraction
of the uterus, or rigid contraction of the os. Use just enough by
inhalation to dull the pain and relax the parts; it will aid you in your
efforts to rectify abnormal presentations by relaxing the parts.
Internally it is used in spasmodic and flatulent colic as it is an
antispasmodic carminative and anodyne in its effects; chloroform
combined with belladonna and opium is very beneficial in spasmodic
coughs, given in linseed gruel or water, well diluted; in liniments
about one or two ounces to the pint. Chloroform is used in chronic
diarrhoea with other medicines, such as morphine, capsicum, camphor, oil
of peppermint and ether. It is also a good taeniacide.