Chloroform is a dense, colorless liquid that is used as a solvent in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, dyes, and pesticides. It is also used as a starting material for the manufacture of fluorocarbons. Physicians once used chloroform as an anesthetic.
Until 1976, chloroform was an ingredient in some cough medicines, liniments, and toothpastes. That year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of chloroform in drugs and cosmetics. The FDA took this action after tests showed that high doses of chloroform could cause cancer in laboratory animals. Chloroform is an unwanted by-product formed in small amounts in drinking water when chlorine is added to kill disease-causing bacteria. In 1979, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations to limit the amount of chloroform in drinking water.
Chloroform was discovered in 1831 by three chemists, each working independently of the others. They were Eugene Soubeiran of France, Justus von Liebig of Germany, and Samuel Guthrie of the United States. Sir James Simpson of Scotland publicly demonstrated chloroform as an anesthetic in 1847. Queen Victoria helped win acceptance for the medical use of chloroform to deaden pain and to produce general anesthesia. But since chloroform can damage the heart, liver, and kidneys, less toxic anesthetics have replaced chloroform in modern medical practice.
Chloroform boils at 62 °C and freezes at –64 °C.
