The first who reported to have produced Chloroform was the French chemist EugÃ ne Soubeiran , in 1831 . Soubeiran took acetone and ethanol , and used bleach powder for the reaction . Chloroform was reported in 1831 by the French chemist EugÃ ne Soubeiran , who prepared it from acetone ( 2-propanone ) as well as ethanol through the action of chlorine bleach powder ( calcium hypochlorite ) .