Chloroform affects the cardiovascular system, liver, kidneys, central nervous system and reproductive organs. Although the manner of its use is well controlled, there is one problem to be aware of that may not appear in a Material Safety Data Sheet for chloroform.
Ethanol is the better stabiliser.
The effect of phosgene generated from chloroform was highlighted in a recent report from the University of California. Several people became ill after using a 3 year old bottle of chloroform. Chloroform should be stored as indicated on the container. It should also be treated as a time-sensitive material and stock of more than two years old treated with greater care. Particular care is required if you are involved in the purification or distillation of chloroform.