The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Science
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2
Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Patent medicines
_Results._--In only one case was a slight response obtained, the others
gave none. Small and large doses were equally inert (Table 7, Figs.
2, 3). The preparations, though inert, always produced a depression
in blood pressure, sometimes even greater than that caused by active
secretin. Among our many tests, one bottle was found, however, to be a
little different from the rest (Experiment 4). Its entire content, 100
tablets, had been ground and boiled in 0.9 per cent. sodium chlorid.
The extract on injection was found to have a small but unmistakable
secretin reaction, equivalent to about 2 c.c. of the control secretin
used. But repeated experiments were unable to duplicate this result.
The “Secretogen” and “Elixir Secretogen” were all supposedly fresh
preparations, the retail drug store informing us that a fresh supply
was obtained from the wholesale house each week.
Secretogen, then, contains practically no secretin, and even if it did
contain secretin, it can have no effect on the pancreas when taken by
mouth. The indications for Secretogen, therefore, are based on false
premises, and the testimonials are worthless.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Tracings (reduced one-half) showing no
stimulation of the pancreas by Secretogen, Elixir Secretogen, and
Duodenin, even when administered intravenously in quantities one
hundred times greater than the therapeutic dose by mouth. Dog: Light
ether anesthesia; cannula in the pancreatic duct; _a_, carotid blood
pressure; _b_, flow of pancreatic juice in drops. Tracing A: at _x_,
intravenous injection of 10 c.c. secretin prepared from duodenal mucosa
of dog. Tracing B: at _x_, intravenous injection of 100 tablets of
Secretogen digested with 0.4 hydrochloric acid and neutralized. Tracing
C: at _x_, intravenous injection of 100 tablets of Secretogen, prepared
as in Tracing B. Tracing D: at _x_, intravenous injection of 50 c.c.
Elixir Secretogen. Tracing E: at _x_, intravenous injection of 100
tablets of Duodenin (dissolved in 0.9 per cent. sodium chlorid).]
_Duodenin._--This is a preparation manufactured by Armour & Company,
which purports to be “secretin plus enterokinase.” The claims for
this product are similar to those for Secretogen, but somewhat less
sweeping. According to the manufacturers, “Duodenin (Armour) is
recommended in the treatment of intestinal disorders where an increased
flow of pancreatic, hepatic and intestinal secretion is desired. It is
of specific value in proteid digestion on the theory that secretin and
enterokinase stimulate the pancreas and activate its secretion.”
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