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
1 was worse than 2 or 3 in 6 cases.
2 was worse than 1 or 3 in 5 cases.
3 was worse than 2 or 1 in 1 case.
The report from Johns Hopkins records a series of 117 injections
followed by the estimated reactions recorded below:
1. Severe, 13; mild, 14; none, 4; unrecorded, 8 = 39
2. Severe, 5; mild, 15; none, 16; unrecorded, 5 = 41
3. Severe, 7; mild, 25; none, 3; unrecorded, 2 = 37
That is, when recorded in percentages:
1. (Biniodol) severe, 33.3; mild, 35.9; none, 10.3;
unrecorded, 20.5.
2. (Without guaiacol) severe, 12.2; mild, 36.8; none, 39.0;
unrecorded, 12.2.
3. (With guaiacol) severe, 18.9; mild, 67.5; none, 8.1;
unrecorded, 5.5.
The manufacturer of Biniodol supplied the names of several physicians
who have used that preparation in their practice. Correspondence with
these elicited the following statements:
One had used Biniodol in forty-eight cases and states that “only a few
patients complain of pain at all and then only of a general soreness in
the muscle.” This physician reports a limited experience with the use
of another manufacturer’s “mercury biniodide oil solution” (apparently
six cases), but severe pain following the injections made it necessary
to abandon that preparation.
Another of these physicians named by the manufacturer, without
reference to any series of cases, reports that “Biniodol is superior to
any [oily solution of mercury biniodid] that I have tried.”
A third physician has “used it [Biniodol] a few times” and is
“convinced that it has no special action or virtue” over “any red
mercuric iodide in oil.”
This evidence, in its most favorable estimate, shows Biniodol to be
a good 1 per cent. solution of mercuric iodid in oil, but fails to
justify attributing to the preparation any unique characteristics. The
preparations made in the laboratory were as satisfactory, or better
than the Biniodol, and the presence or absence of the guaiacol was of
no consequence.
Biniodol conflicts with Rule 6, since claims of superior therapeutic
efficiency made for it are not established; and with Rules 8 and
10, since it is an unessential modification of an established
nonproprietary article marketed under a proprietary name.
In view of the foregoing, the referee recommends that Biniodol be
not accepted for New and Nonofficial Remedies, and that this report,
including the clinical investigations of Drs. Cole and Keidel, be
authorized for publication.
COMPARATIVE SYMPTOMS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF SEVERAL OILY
SUSPENSIONS OF RED MERCURIC IODID (MERCURY BINIODID)
Report of Dr. H. N. Cole[C]
[C] From the Department of Dermatology and Syphilology of the Western
Reserve University and of the Cleveland City Hospital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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