noun
- a sedative and hypnotic drug of the barbiturate class, formerly used to treat insomnia and anxiety
Usage: medical; largely discontinued
Examples
- Barbital was one of the first barbiturates synthesized in the early 1900s.
- The doctor prescribed barbital to help the patient sleep.
- Due to safety concerns, barbital has been largely replaced by safer sleep medications.
- Barbital addiction became a serious problem in the mid-20th century.
- The pharmaceutical company stopped manufacturing barbital in the 1980s.
- Researchers studied the effects of barbital on the central nervous system.