[Sudden death after consumption of chloral hydrate].

Two cases of fatal chloral hydrate poisoning are reported. The young men were prisoners in jails of Vorarlberg. During their captivity the doctor prescribed them 4 g chloral hydrate per day because of insomnia. They accumulated some doses and consumed it all together. Causes of death were brain swelling with premature craniostenosis in one case and vomiting with aspiration of stomach content in the other. Morphological and toxicological findings are presented and juridical consequences are turned out.