When trichloroacetaldehyde is dissolved in water, almost all of it is converted to the hy­...

When trichloroacetaldehyde is dissolved in water, almost all of it is converted to the hy­drate. Chloral hydrate, the product of the reaction, is a sedative that can be lethal. A cock­tail laced with it is commonly known—in detective novels, at least—as a “Mickey Finn.” Explain why an aqueous solution of trichloroacetaldehyde is almost all hydrate.