The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Science
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2
Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Patent medicines
Some time ago it was decided that a reexamination should be made of
Taka-Diastase and Liquid Taka-Diastase, both of which had previously
been rejected, to ascertain whether or not the preparations were in
accord with the claims made for them by the manufacturers. Accordingly,
the matter was referred to a committee of the Council, and an
examination of specimens of these two preparations bought in the market
was made. The referee’s report, which appears below, according to the
usual procedure, and before final confirmation by the Council, was
first submitted to the manufacturers of Taka-Diastase for comment.
The report recommends that the rejection of Taka-Diastase and Liquid
Taka-Diastase be allowed to stand, and that the report be published.
Parke, Davis & Co., in their reply, which is given in full below, claim
that the report is unjust concerning Liquid Taka-Diastase, because the
period of activity of the preparation has been greatly prolonged by
reducing the amount of alcohol from 18 per cent. to 10 per cent. and by
adding glycerin. They reiterate their claims for the digestive power of
Taka-Diastase, but admit that it will not reduce the stated amount of
starch to the colorless end-point in ten minutes (the standard method
for the valuation of diastase). They further state that they would
change the word “digest” on the label to “liquefy.”
The conclusion of the report having been questioned, the entire
matter was referred to a member of the Council’s staff of clinical
consultants. His report, which, also, is given in full below, states
that the material before him was sufficient to decide the matter,
and no further tests were necessary. He concludes that the claims
of the manufacturers regarding the strength and properties of the
material are erroneous and exaggerated; that the literature still sent
out by Parke, Davis & Co. is misleading; and that if substitution
of the word “liquefy” for “digest” were endorsed by the Council
confusion would result which would give an exaggerated and false
value to Taka-Diastase. He therefore recommends that the report of
the reinvestigation of Taka-Diastase be accepted by the Council and
published.
This report of the second referee was referred to Parke, Davis & Co.
with the request that they state more definitely the actual amylolytic
strength of their preparations. To this they replied that they had
no desire to discuss the subject further, or to make any additional
statements.
In accordance with the second referee’s recommendations, the Council
confirmed its provisional action and voted that the rejection of
Taka-Diastase and Liquid Taka-Diastase be allowed to stand, and that
the report which appears below be authorized for publication.
W. A. Puckner, Secretary.
_REFEREE’S REPORT ON TAKA-DIASTASE AND LIQUID TAKA-DIASTASE_
Following is the report of the committee to which was referred the
reexamination of Taka-Diastase and Liquid Taka-Diastase:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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