[180] Dr. Bremme, Vierteljahrsschr. f. gerichtliche Medicin, Bd. v., 1893.
§ 193. Aldehyde (Acetaldehyde),
, a fluid obtained by the careful oxidation of alcohol (boiling-point, 20·8°), is in large doses toxic; in smaller, it acts as a narcotic.
Metaldehyde (C2H4O2)2, obtained by treating acetaldehyde at a low temperature with hydrochloric acid. It occurs in the form of prisms, which sublime at about 112°; it is also poisonous.
§ 194. Paraldehyde (C6H12O3) is a colourless fluid, boiling at 124°; specific gravity ·998 at 15°. By the action of cold it may be obtained in crystals, the melting point of which is 10·5°. It is soluble in eight parts of water at 13°; in warm water it is less soluble; hence, on warming a solution, it becomes turbid. Paraldehyde acts very similarly to chloral; it causes a deep sleep, and (judging by experiments on animals) produces no convulsive movements.