A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF FOUR HYPNOTIC AGENTS, USING A LATIN-SQUARE DESIGN

A double-blind study with a Latin-square design was undertaken on 25 elderly patients, using a placebo and four hypnotic drugs: ethchlorvynol 500 mg., glutethimide 500 mg., chloral hydrate 500 mg., and secobarbital sodium 100 mg. The trial lasted for five weeks. The drugs were all effective compared with the placebo, differences in sleeping time being statistically significant. Differences between these four drugs were not statistically significant. Sleep was induced soonest by secobarbital and ethchlorvynol. Ethchlorvynol and glutethimide had a relatively somewhat longer period of activity than the others. Glutethimide produced most side effects, especially morning drowsiness. Ethchlorvynol and chloral hydrate produced relatively few cases of drowsiness.