Formerly, if Englishmen or Englishwomen had a certain amount of pain, or worry, or sleeplessness, they endured it, and hoped for better times – an opiate being considered a serious matter by most persons. At present the list of available soothers of pain and restlessness has become much larger; and from time to time fresh substances are discovered to possess the required power, and are at first stated to be also ‘quite harmless’. This was especially the case with chloral; but that drug has proved itself a wolf in sheep’s clothing with a vengeance.