VASOGEN AND IODOVASOGEN

Another Case in Which Independent Analyses and Manufacturers’ Labels Disagree

Vasogen, a product of Pearson & Company, Hamburg, Germany, has been put on the market under the various designations, “oxygenated vaseline,” “water-soluble hydrocarbon” and “oxygenated carbon.” The manufacturers, and also their American agents, Lehn & Fink, claim that by a special process the apparent impossibility of saponifying petrolatum has been overcome with Vasogen as the result. Disinterested chemists who have analyzed Vasogen find that the product consists essentially of an ammonium soap and petrolatum—​practically an ammonia liniment mixed with petrolatum.

Just as petrolatum under its various trade names was at one time recommended as a universal ointment base, so vasogen is recommended promiscuously as a vehicle for remedies applied externally and even for internal medication—​needless to say in many cases in which it is directly contra-indicated.

Iodovasogen, recommended for external application as a substitute for tincture of iodin, was examined by Zernik in 1905, who found that the iodin existed not as a free iodin, but chiefly as ammonium iodid. The therapeutic character of the preparation is thus entirely different from that to be inferred from the labels and elsewhere, since the counter-irritant effects of free iodin are of course absent in ammonium iodid. Pearson & Co. now claim that when Zernik’s findings were published they immediately modified their statements on the label in accordance with the truth. This is denied by Dr. Lungwitz, the editor of the Therapeutische Rundschau (Apotheker Zeitung, 1908, p. 900), who vigorously criticizes the mis­rep­re­sen­ta­tion made by Pearson & Co. in regard to Iodovasogen. He calls attention to the fact that, while Zernick’s results were published over three years ago, the labels which are in use today still bear the statement that Iodovasogen consists of Vasogen 90 parts and resublimed iodin 10 parts, and Vasogen 94 parts and resublimed iodin 6 parts, respectively.

As Iodovasogen and Vasogen in various combinations are being advertised to the physicians in the United States, the above information from our German exchanges is worthy of consideration.​—(From The Journal A. M. A., Feb. 13, 1909.)