In article <3gbs7e$3r4 at decaxp.harvard.edu>,
Michael Levin <mlevin at scws4.harvard.edu> wrote:
>1) chloral hydrate - this is supposed to be some kind of anesthetic.
>What effect does it have? What is average dose? Any adverse
>side-effects? As it takes effect, is there any nausea or unusual
>symptoms?
It would not be used as an anesthetic. It's a sedative, though it's
much less popular nowadays than it used to be. A typical dose for
inducing sleep ranges from 500mg to 1g. Chloral hydrate can be irritating
to the stomach, so nausea isn't unheard of, especially if it's taken on an
empty stomach, or if the person has a sensitive stomach to begin with.
In someone abusing the drug, habitual use will produce tolerance and
if the amount taken is raised to overcome this, physical dependence
will follow. Chloral addicts of the 19th c. (e.g., Dante Gabriel Rossetti)
would take unbelievably high doses. The drug is a C-IV controlled
substance.
>2) yohimbine hydrochloride - this is supposed to be some kind of
>animal aphrodisiac (used for live-stock etc.). Is it, and if so, how
>does it act? Has it been tried on human beings? If so, what happenned?
I've never heard of it being used in animals. It may facilitate
achieving and maintaining an erection, but it's not going to have any
effect on your libido. The drug is an alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist.
It can cause nervousness, and there are reports of it inducing panic
attacks in people suffering from this syndrome. Only recently have
there been any controlled studies suggesting this might be useful in
the treatment of impotence. Its sale as a prescription drug in the
absence of FDA approval for any particular indications reflects the
fact that it's been sold for many decades, and presumably was
grandfathered without the need to demonstrate safety or efficacy.
--
Steve Dyer
dyer at ursa-major.spdcc.com
