Chloroform

History

Chloroform was first produced independently and simultaneously in 1831 by Justus von Liebig and the French chemist Eugene Soubeiran, who produced chloroform through the action of chlorine bleach powder (calcium hypochlorite) upon acetone (propanone) or ethanol (an application of the generic process known as the haloform reaction).

Related Topics:
Justus von Liebig - Eugene Soubeiran - Bleach - Acetone - Ethanol - Haloform reaction

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In 1847, the Edinburgh obstetrician James Young Simpson first used chloroform to effect general anesthesia during childbirth. The use of chloroform during surgery expanded rapidly thereafter, especially in Europe. In the United States, chloroform did not replace ether as an anesthetic until the beginning of the 20th century; however, its use was readily abandoned in favor of the latter upon discovery of its undesirable toxicological properties and its propensity to cause sudden, fatal cardiac arrhythmia in a manner analogous to what is now termed sudden sniffer's death. Ether is still of limited use in developing nations due to its high therapeutic index, economic viability and relative safety, possessing no untoward effects with the exception of its pungent, unpleasant odor and tendency to cause vomiting. Trichloroethylene, a related halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon, later supplanted chloroform as a safer alternative, though it, too, was later found to be carcinogenic.

Related Topics:
Edinburgh - Obstetrician - James Young Simpson - Anesthesia - Childbirth - Surgery - Ether - Sudden sniffer's death - Developing nation - Therapeutic index - Trichloroethylene - Carcinogen

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