THE DANGER IN PROTONUCLEIN, A PREPARATION CONTAINING THYROID

Protonuclein was the subject of a little article in our Queries and Minor Notes Department, Nov. 16, 1912, page 1812. Dr. Reid Hunt, Washington, D. C., writes:

“To the Editor:—I have been requested by a physician to call your attention to certain statements which might well have been added to your reply to J. A. C. in regard to Protonuclein. Dr. Seidell and I examined several samples of Protonuclein some time ago [120] and by chemical and physiologic tests found that they contained the equivalent of 10 per cent. thyroid of 0.1 per cent. iodin strength (the actual amount of thyroid may have been greater or less for we did not know the percentage of iodin in the thyroid used). The dose recommended on the bottle was 6 to 12 grains every three or four hours; this represents from 0.6 to 1.2 grains of some of the commercial thyroid powders, and is sufficient to cause pronounced thyroid effects in many conditions. Protonuclein was advertised as a ‘perfectly harmless antitoxin, tissue-builder,’ etc., although the dose of thyroid did not differ materially from that in ‘Rengo’ and ‘Marmola,’ two anti-fat nostrums which we examined at the same time. We called attention to the danger of using thyroid, the most powerful tissue-destroying drug known, in cases of typhoid, phthisis, etc., for which protonuclein was recommended, though these are conditions in which the physician is supposed to be exerting every effort to build up the tissues.

“You also speak of the ‘high’ nuclein content (0.28 per cent. phosphorus): the largest recommended dose would contain only about ¹⁄₃ grain of nucleic acid—an amount which probably has not the slightest effect, especially when given by the mouth.

“A sample of ‘Protonuclein Special’ was found to have twice as much thyroid as the ordinary Protonuclein; this also was stated to be ‘perfectly harmless.’”—(From The Journal A. M. A., Feb. 1, 1913.)