Toxic or tolerant: chloral and the drug dilemma.

The role that a drug or combination of drugs plays in the causation of death cannot always be stated with certainty. Drugs associated with the development of tolerance create a particular problem, and there is need for additional data concerning tolerable concentrations achieved by drug abusers. The common drug chloral hydrate falls into this category, and a case of possible chloral hydrate intoxication has been presented.