This substance occurs in rather small and brilliant tabular crystals. It is soluble in water, but not freely so; and, as respects antagonists and incompatibles, may be classed with chloral hydrate. Dose, grs. ij—grs. xv, largely diluted in water. It may also be conveniently made into pills with glycerite of traga-canth.

Physiological Actions and Therapy

Croton-chloral resembles chloral in its hypnotic action, but it is feebler and also less certain. As in lethal doses it causes death by paralysis of respiration, it is admissible in cases of weak heart. It differs from chloral, especially in the singular property which it possesses of causing anaesthesia of the head. Croton-chloral is much less certain in its effects than chloral: sometimes one or two grains will relieve severe trigeminal neuralgia; and often from five to fifteen grains are necessary. When pain is to be relieved and sleep procured, the best results are obtained by a combination of the two agents.

Croton-chloral has proved very effective in various neuralgiae. It has been especially useful in tic-douloureux, in which it should be given in doses of two to five grains every hour or two, until fifteen grains have been taken. It is probably not safe to exceed this amount at one time. The pains of dysmenorrhoea and sciatica have also been relieved by the use of this remedy.

Authorities referred to:

The British Medical Journal, October 30, 1873, March 7, 1874. Schmidt's Jahrbucher. Papers by Profs. Liebreich, Benson, Baker, and Wichham Legg, Band 161, p. 16