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
As a check on this determination, the amount of material contained
in Formurol which is insoluble in chloroform was determined. It was
found to be (_a_) 63.23 per cent. and (_b_) 63.49 per cent., making
an average of 63.36 per cent., and thus agreeing fairly well with the
results obtained when the sodium content was assumed to be disodium
hydrogen citrate. From this analysis it appears that Formurol is
not a definite compound of hexamethylenamin and sodium citrate, but
instead is a mixture of these substances consisting approximately of
hexamethylenamin 35.37 per cent. and sodium acid citrate (disodium
hydrogen citrate) 63.36 per cent., practically a mixture of 1 part
hexamethylenamin and 2 parts sodium acid citrate. These results agree
with those reported by Zernik[47] and show that the product now, as
then, is not true to claims.
[47] Therap. d. Gegenw., February, 1909.
In view of the findings of the laboratory, it is recommended that
Formurol be refused recognition. As the exploitation of well-known
remedies under false and misleading names is detrimental to the
progress of medicine, it is recommended that publication of this report
be authorized.
[Editorial Note: This report illustrates once more the value of
the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry and the Chemical Laboratory
to the medical profession. Before the Council was organized there
was no agency to protect the physician’s interests in the matter
of pharmaceuticals. Under the old régime Formurol would have been
heralded as a new “synthetic” of the most approved made-in-Germany
type--and the claims would have gone unchallenged. To-day its status
is made clear and the profession is informed. Only those who have
closely studied the question can realize what a wonderful power for
commercial probity the Council has proved. Under the _laissez faire_
system of the past, many large pharmaceutical firms gave little
attention to the accuracy of the claims made for their products. If
the advertising gave good “pulling” results, that was all that was
asked or expected. Within the past five years a wonderful change has
taken place in this regard, and firms of the better class have so
modified their advertising as to make it not only conservative in
tone, but to approximate scientific accuracy.]--(_From The Journal
A. M. A., Jan. 21, 1911._)
GASTROGEN TABLETS
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The Bristol-Myers Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., sells Gastrogen Tablets which
are described as “A Neutralizing Digestive” to be “used in connection
with Sal Hepatica.” Sal Hepatica, it will be remembered, is another
product of the Bristol-Myers Company and has been the subject of
previous unfavorable comment. The label on a recently purchased
package of Gastrogen Tablets contains the following:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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