The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2

by Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry

SECOND INVESTIGATION

The second investigator treated two cases of tertian malarial fever with these preparations until it was satisfactorily proved that the drug was having no effect on the presence of the parasites in the blood, when he began the administration of quinin.

Case 4.—After the use of the remedies for one week the investigator still found young rings half-grown and gametes present in the blood. Apparently there was a relative increase in the number of parasites. He then began the administration of quinin. Blood-smears taken the next day after 40 grains of quinin had been taken showed one parasite after eighteen minutes’ search of one slide, and two after thirty minutes’ search of a second slide. At the end of a week’s treatment the patient was discharged recovered. The blood examination of two slides was negative.

Case 5.—This was a case of tertian malaria. After treatment for five days with Sinkina the blood still showed tertian parasites with increase in the size of the spleen, and the preparation was without effect on the clinical course of the disease. Quinin was then begun, and the blood examination became negative at the end of three days.

The investigator concludes that the preparations furnished him were absolutely worthless in the treatment of two cases of the tertian form of malarial fever, and that these solutions had no effect on the presence of the parasites in the peripheral circulation. In a case of quartan malaria, both of the preparations (cumin oil mixture and Sinkina), sent by the Association Laboratory, were without effect on the plasmodia in the blood. This investigator employed the solution made by the Association Laboratory (cumin oil mixture) as well as Sinkina, and was unable to note any differences between them.

THIRD INVESTIGATION

The third investigator began the trial of Sinkina at the instance of the manufacturers, and used it in three cases, two of them being benign tertian malaria and one case of mixed infection (benign tertian and estivo-autumnal).

Case 6.—This was one of the cases of benign tertian malaria. The patient gave a clinical history of malaria with chills occurring on alternate days for a little over a week. There was an immediate cessation of all clinical symptoms, and three days after the patient had been on ¹⁄₂ ounce of Sinkina three times daily there was no evidence of any plasmodia in his blood; his additional treatment consisted of 5 grains of calomel the evening of the first day with a saline the next morning. Before the patient was put on treatment, numerous parasites of both the asexual and sexual forms were observed. The patient remained in bed for a few days, and then returned to work. A week later he was again taken ill with a return of all of his previous clinical symptoms.