APA Dictionary of Psychology

any drug that utilizes the sedative and hypnotic effects of alcohol for therapeutic purposes. In the 1890s, it was found that compounds derived from methyl alcohol had CNS depressant effects. In the 1950s, a new generation of alcohol-based compounds with greater hypnotic activity was introduced. They included ethchlorvynol and ethinamate; the latter is a more potent sleep inducer than ethchlorvynol, but its abuse potential is similar to that of barbiturates. Due to their toxicity, alcohol derivatives are rarely used in modern clinical practice.