Making chloroform so I can sleep better at night [video]

xkcd-sucks

Chloroform is great for extractions (if you don't care about the environment) because it sinks to the bottom of a sep funnel, but the thing about it being a knockout gas or sleep aid is complete BS.

Based on an unpublished study of about 4 degenerate chemistry undergrads:

    - It PROBABLY takes several minutes of inhalation through a saturated rag to induce full loss of consciousness, although shorter times do produce noticeable wooziness
    - However, full unconsciousness was not achieved in any subject because chloroform tasted too Totally Gross to continue past a minute or so (choking sickly-sweet) 
    - Subjective effects wore off within a few minutes, however the gross flavor persisted for several hours afterword much longer as residual chloroform washed out (along with mild headaches)
    - Ingestion was not investigated.

So, in order to incapacitate someone you would have to force them to do really unpleasant for a long time, in which case you might as well choke them out, and the victim would regain consciousness quickly. And as a sleep aid it would likely need to be ingested, would induce sleep but not maintain it (i.e. wake up shortly), and would leave the user reeking of gross chloroform for long after.

Join us for our continued lecture series, covering topics such as:

    - Why microwave assisted reactions in DMSO are a bad idea
    - Why attempting GHB synthesis via permanganate oxidation of THF is a bad idea
    - Harm reduction re: consumption of USP 99.9% ethanol
    - How peroxyacid syntheses of various things do not scale up well and how they absolutely should not be coerced into running more quickly
    - The poor efficacy of DMSO in assisting drug translocation through skin

Octokiddie

It's worth noting that the general class of reaction described here ("Haloform reaction") was discovered in 1822, and rediscovered after that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haloform_reaction

Organic chemistry is a very old field whose older literature can still be used and remains relevant today.

Also, inhaling anything you produce in a lab, even if you did distill it, is idiotic.

labrador

I'm a recovering nitrous oxide addict so this is interesting, but people should proceed with caution. I didn't know laughing gas could be addictive for some people until it was too late.

In the film Cider House Rules, Michael Caine plays a doctor addicted to ether for sleep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cider_House_Rules_(film)

Google result: Is chloroform stronger than ether? Fluothane and chloroform produced similar anesthesia, and was 4 1/2 times more potent than ether.

ravenstine

I decided to open the Wikipedia page for Chloroform while this video played and thought it was interesting that the idea that criminals can immediately knock someone out with a chloroform soaked rag is really a work of fiction. Not that it couldn't be done, but that it would probably take minutes and not just a few seconds.

gus_massa

The author is Chemdelic. I was expecting a video by Nile Red, but I was not disappointed. (As the video explain, don't try this at home unless you have a degree in Chemistry or something. That invisible fumes looks nasty.)

adamsmith143

Undergrad in our lab was working after hours and once dropped an entire jug of choloroform which promptly exploded on the floor. He shat a brick and ran out of the building. Fire Department and Hazmat cleanup crews both showed up and shut down the entire building.

cwkoss

Is there a youtube channel all about how chemical waste is neutralized for disposal? What happens to the tub of very basic water and maybe some bleach? Just pour down the drain? What pHs are safe to pour down the drain? How is more complex waste, like containing pharmacological products or heavy metals, neutralized and disposed?

jdlyga

Make sure you open an incognito window before clicking on this, or your YouTube recommendations will look weird for a bit

pstuart

My shrink used to prescribe me chloral hydrate and it was great. Unfortunately it was banned because of mistakes made by dentists in improper use.

I've long advocated for legalizing illicit drugs but stuff like this should also be of the individuals discretion.

Apparently simple to synthesize but I'm not sure I'm up for that.

Edit: Erowid FTW: https://erowid.org/archive/rhodium/chemistry/chloralhydrate....

poulpy123

I take advantage of this post to ask if there is any good youtube channel/website/books for chemistry experiments at home (so reasonably safe and without the need of a full lab)

anm89

Another good home lab chemistry youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq7a5_tvBPM

35mm

Valerian tea might be a safer alternative.

pazimzadeh

can't you just mix bleach with ethanol?

tiku

My history on YouTube is suddenly very slow to load and not working correctly after watching this video..

bradwood

And his favourite pick-up line?

> Would you like to see the back of my van?

Eleison23

[dead]

whoomp12342

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BeriWan

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anthk

Just take a single melatonine pill. They're usually safe.

optimalsolver

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