Sterile  camphorated  oil,  10  per  cent,  in  ampuls.
Amyl  nitrite,  in  5-drop  glass  capsules.
Aromatic  spirit  of  ammonia.
Smelling  salts.
Whisky.
Hypodermic  syringe  in  good  working  order.
HYPNOTICS.
Hypnotics  (sleep  producers),  sometimes  referred  to  as  sopo-
rifics or  somnifacients,  are  drugs  applied  for  the  purpose  of  in-
ducing sleep.  Incidentally  they  relieve  pain  by  paralyzing  cer-
tain parts  of  the  cerebrum,  and  consequently  they  are  closely  re-
lated to  general  anesthetics,  narcotics,  anodynes,  and  analgesics.
From  the  viewpoint  of  the  pharmacologist,  hypnotics  can  not  be
classified  as  a  specific  group  of  remedies,  but  for  clinical  purposes
this  grouping  answers  satisfactorily.  Some  of  the  hypnotics  are
soluble  in  water,  others  are  not ;  all  arc,  however,  soluble  in  fatty
oils.  No  plausible  explanation  has  as  yet  been  offered  regarding
the  action  of  hypnotics.  Sleep  and  w^akefulness  are  periodical
functions  of  the  central  nervous  system,  which  occur  at  rhythmical
intervals.  These  periodical  functions  arc  often  irritated  by  ex-
ternal and   internal   disturbances.     Physical   and   mental   strain,


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HYPNOTICS  367

nervous  diseases,  lessened  resistance,  and  many  somatic  disturb-
ances are  frequent  causes  of  insomnia.  Sleep  should  not  be  arti-
ficially induced  at  once  in  every  case  in  which  the  patient  com-
plains of  insomnia;  regulating  the  diet,  proper  exercise,  eliminat-
ing the  nervous  disturbances,  lukewarm  baths,  etc.,  are  of  prime
importance  in  inducing  natural  sleep.  Hypnotics  should  not  be
given  for  an  extended  time,  as  they  are  very  prone  to  create  habits.
It  is  often  advisable  to  change  the  remedy  at  short  intervals  if  it
must  be  given  for  a  long  period.
Hydrated  Chloral;  Chloralum  Hydratum,  U.  S.  P.;  Choral
Hydras,  B.  P.;  C.HCl^O+HoO;  Hydrate  de  Chloral,  F.;
Chloralhydrat,  G.
