Chloral hydrate narcosis for the live capture of mammals

Abstract

Narcosis was induced in the kangaroo Macropus robustus cervinus Thomas by the addition of chloral hydrate to water troughs. The optimum strength, 5 oz in 8 gal, caused no deaths and gave about 4 hours' anaesthesia, during which the animals could be freely examined. On recovery, they showed considerable discoordination, but subsequent observation showed that narcosis had no permanent ill-effects.