The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
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The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2
Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Patent medicines
Consequently, notwithstanding the cautiously worded statements of
claims made by the manufacturers of Thyreoidectin, the Council approved
the recommendation that this preparation (Thyreoidectin) be omitted
from New and Nonofficial Remedies for conflict with Rule 6 (unwarranted
therapeutic claims) and Rule 10 (unscientific and useless articles)
(Antithyroidin-Moebius had already been omitted because it was off
the market). The Council further directed that the general article
“antithyroid preparations” be also omitted.
The Council having adopted the recommendation of the referee,
Thyreoidectin is omitted from N. N. R., while the general article
appears below, as a matter of record:
Antithyroid preparations are obtained from the blood or milk of
animals, after the removal of the thyroid glands.
The use of these preparations is based on the theory that the thyroid
gland secretes products which are toxic, but which neutralize and are
neutralized by, other toxic substances produced elsewhere in the body.
Removal of the thyroid glands would then lead to the accumulation of
these second toxic substances as evidenced by the phenomena of cachexia
strumipriva and myxedema. On the other hand, the blood or milk of
such animals is claimed to be capable of preventing the effects of
hypersecretion of thyroid substance, such as is supposed to occur
in hyperthyroidism (Basedow’s or Graves’ disease--generally called
exophthalmic goiter).
These views are largely hypothetical; attempts to give to them a
rational experimental basis have failed, but some clinical observers
report distinctly beneficial results in the milder forms of the
diseases, and in obscure nervous disorders which are supposedly
connected with thyroid hypersecretion from the administration of
the milk from thyroidectomized goats and also from the use of the
proprietary blood preparations listed below. The value of these
preparations is very doubtful. The reported improvements may only be
psychical or due to associated measures, as is often seen in this
disease. Other measures of treatment should not be neglected.
Improvement is said to occur in two or three weeks and to be indicated
by an amelioration of the nervous symptoms, tremor, palpitation,
insomnia and excitability.
The administration must be long continued. Oral and hypodermic
administration are said to be equally effective, but the former is
usually preferred. These preparations are not known to be toxic, even
when very large doses are used.--(_From Reports of Council on Pharmacy
and Chemistry, 1918, p. 50._)
CEPHAELIN AND SYRUP CEPHAELIN-LILLY OMITTED FROM N. N. R. AND
SYRUP EMETIC-LILLY NOT ACCEPTED
Report of Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The Council has authorized publication of the following report, which
explains the omission of cephaelin and Syrup Cephaelin-Lilly from New
and Nonofficial Remedies and the non-acceptance of Syrup Emetic-Lilly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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