ARTICLES REFUSED RECOGNITION
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
Below appear abstracts of the Council’s actions on articles refused recognition which were not deemed of sufficient importance to require lengthy reports.
Uricsol
Uricsol is marketed by the Uricsol Chemical Company, formerly of Los Angeles, now of Boston. Regarding its composition only vague statements are made. In an advertising pamphlet it is promised that the formula will be sent to physicians on request. Such a request from a physician elicited the following statement:
“URICSOL is a non-irritating, alkaline solution, containing Lithium Citrate, Acid Citric and Potassium Nitrate, together with a saline laxative in the form of Glycero Sodium Phosphate, with Vegetable Tonics added.”
The Association Laboratory has made an examination of Uricsol to determine its composition and reports as follows:
LABORATORY REPORT
A trade package purchased in March, 1915, from a wholesale drug house was labeled:
“Uricsol Rheumatic Remedy, Uric Acid Solvent, Kidney and Liver Stimulant, Manufactured by the Uricsol Chemical Co., Los Angeles, Cal.”
This package was wrapped in a circular entitled “The Great California Remedy—Uricsol.” The preparation is a viscid, slightly turbid light brown liquid, with a faintly aromatic odor and a salty, bitter taste. The diluted solution is acid in reaction toward litmus and phenolphthalein and alkaline toward methyl orange.
Qualitative tests showed a presence of phosphate, citrate, nitrate, sodium, glycerin, and a small amount of lithium in aqueous solution. Besides these a small amount of some organic, nonalkaloidal substance was found, which from its bitter taste suggested gentian. From the qualitative tests it appeared that the phosphate was the predominating ingredient and accordingly a phosphate determination was made. The results, calculated to sodium phosphate, U. S. P., indicated the presence of 64.20 gm. per 100 c.c., held in solution by citric acid and sodium nitrate.
Uricsol evidently is a solution containing a large amount of sodium phosphate with small amounts of lithium, nitrate, citric acid and glycerin, with probably some vegetable extract.
In general Uricsol is similar to the once widely exploited proprietary “Melachol,” which has been frequently imitated. A preparation essentially identical is in the United States Pharmacopeia, under the title “Compound Solution of Sodium Phosphate.”
The Uricsol Company calls its preparation
“... the latest word in the treatment of Rheumatism and that allied group of ailments which is caused by an excess of Uric Acid.”
Hay fever, bronchial asthma and neuritis are conditions in which it is recommended. The claim is made that
“Uricsol quickly controls Vasomotor Rhinitis and eliminates such conditions from the system.” “In fact, it will correct FAULTY METABOLISM.”
To a few practitioners of an older generation the pharmacologic basis of a remedy for rheumatism was sufficiently defined by saying that it increased the solubility of uric acid or affected it in some way. This theory is obsolete; there is not, and never was, any reliable evidence on which to base the theory that rheumatism is in any way caused by uric acid. The exploitation of Uricsol as a “uric acid solvent” is merely another illustration of the way in which nostrum manufacturers play on disproved theories. Of course the claim that sodium phosphate has any particular power to control vasomotor rhinitis, hay fever, asthma, and to correct faulty metabolism is foolish.
To summarize: Uricsol is a mixture of well-known drugs, marketed with false claims as to therapeutic action, with misleading and meaningless statements as to composition and under a name which invites uncritical prescribing. Uricsol is held ineligible to inclusion in New and Nonofficial Remedies.
Jubol
The following ridiculous statements are addressed, not to the laity, but to the medical profession:
DO YOU SUFFER FROM Constipation—Hemorrhoids—Enteritis—Mucous discharge—Pituita—Acidity of the stomach—Vertigo—Sick Headache—Disturbed Sleep—Insomnia—Sallow Complexion—Coated Tongue—Offensive breath—Fatigue and depression—Boils—Pimples?
“ONE of these symptoms alone shows that there is defective or insufficient function of the intestines, even if the stools are regular.
“Excrements remain too long in the intestine and set up fermentation. The harmful poisons and Ptomains which they produce are re-absorbed by the blood and poison the whole system.
“The Intestines must be cleared and re-educated with JUBOL.
“Jubolise your Intestines.”
Jubol tablets are sold in the United States by Geo. J. Wallau, Inc., New York, and are said to be prepared by J. L. Chatelain, Paris, France. The following incomplete and nonquantitative “formula” is furnished:
“... compounded chiefly [!] of Agar-Agar, Biliary Extracts and pure Extracts from all the intestinal Glands.”
It is asserted that
“The tablets are coated with a protective covering in order that they may act on the intestine only.”
The tablets contained in a regular-size trade package, obtained direct from the agent, readily separated into two halves and disintegrated within a few minutes when agitated with water. It is thus evident that, under ordinary conditions, the intestinal ferments in Jubol (if they are present, as claimed) would be destroyed during their passage through the stomach. In direct tests, however, practically no tryptic activity was demonstrated.
The composition of Jubol is not declared; grossly unwarranted and incorrect claims are made for its therapeutic actions; the name does not indicate the alleged ingredients and so much of the composition as is declared indicates an unscientific mixture. The Council decided that Jubol should be held ineligible for New and Nonofficial Remedies, and that this report should be published.
Urodonal
Urodonal is said to be “produced in the laboratory of J. L. Chatelain,” Paris, France. It is marketed in this country by Geo. J. Wallau, Inc., New York.
The preparation is claimed to be a chemical compound, and the advertising matter furnishes a “formula,” which consists of the formulas of lysidin, sidonal and hexamethylenamin, connected by plus signs:
That the substance is a chemical compound is highly improbable, and no evidence has been submitted to substantiate the claim. On the contrary, in the following statement the phrase “based on” is a virtual admission that the preparation is merely a mixture:
“Urodonal ... is a granular effervescent preparation based on methylglyoxalidine [Lysidine], quinate of diethylene-diamine [Sidonal] and hexamethylene-tetramine [Formin, urotropine].”
Mystery is added by the mention of undefined “special products” in the following:
“The fact of combining these two salts [lysidin and sidonal] in Urodonal, in strictly determined proportions and in the presence of special products, gives this preparation very considerable power in dissolving uric acid.”
These contradictory statements of composition conflict with Rule 1.
Urodonal is marketed in typical “patent medicine” style: the name “Urodonal” is blown in the bottle and the label contains a list of “Indications,” including rheumatism, gout and gravel (Rule 4). That this form of marketing has introduced it to the public is suggested by the following in an advertising circular:
“... Urodonal is now popular—even classic—throughout the world, where thousands of doctors and millions of patients agree in asserting that ‘Urodonal is to rheumatism what quinine is to fever.’ ”
There are also other indications that the mixture is to be exploited to the laity. For instance, the U. S. distributor sends out a portrait of Sarah Bernhardt bearing the legend:
“I am positive that URODONAL preserves youth’s freshness with clearness and strength to brain and heart. I have taken it for two years with the greatest benefit. Sarah Bernhardt.”
A circular advises this mixture
“For all who suffer from Arthritis, Rheumatism, Arterio-Sclerosis, Renal and Bilious Lithiasis, Headache, Gout, Gravel, Lumbago, Sciatic Pains, Neuralgia and all uric acid troubles.”
“In fact, Urodonal is five times more active than piperazine, and thirty-seven times more active than lithia. We are, therefore, entitled to say that no other eliminator of uric acid can be compared with it.”
“Being 37 times more active than lithia, it clears the heart valves of any sandy substances which may clog them, and checks the atheromatous degeneration of the blood vessels.”
These extracts indicate sufficiently the extravagant tone of the advertising (Rule 6): None of the ingredients are notably active in dissolving uric acid when administered by mouth. None produce any marked increase of uric acid elimination. No intelligent physician would use a uric acid solvent for “bilious lithiasis”; and their usefulness in the other conditions is open to doubt, to put it mildly.
Although the preparation is a simple mixture, the name does not indicate the components, but inclines to therapeutic suggestion (Rule 8).
Nothing is to be gained by combining several drugs which are useless, severally, for the purpose intended, as in the present case (Rule 10).
Urodonal is marketed under inconsistent statements of composition and with exaggerated therapeutic claims; the name is nondescriptive and the mixture is unscientific. The Council decided that the preparation should be declared ineligible for conflict with Rules 1, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and that this report should be published.—(From The Journal A. M. A., Aug. 14, 1915.)