The manufacturers claim that Digalen does not produce gastric disturbances (see advertisement cited).
It is quite true that when small doses of Digalen are used therapeutically it fails to produce gastric disturbances because it is of such slight activity, as previously stated, but when it is used in amounts which correspond in activity to such doses of the ordinary galenical preparations of digitalis as commonly cause nausea and vomiting it does cause gastric disturbances quite as readily as the latter.
Among the clinicians who have found that Digalen causes gastric disturbances may be cited: Veiel,[34] Mueller,[35] Eichhorst[36] and Teichmann.[37]
Eggleston and Hatcher[38] compared the emetic and cardiac activity of Digalen and numerous other digitalis bodies and preparations and found that the emetic activity of Digalen was decidedly greater in proportion to its cardiac (or therapeutic) action than was that of digitalis or digitoxin.
In the absence of any evidence to controvert this clinical and experimental evidence, the continued claim that Digalen does not disturb the stomach must be looked on as deliberate misrepresentation.
MISLEADING THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS
The recommendation that Digalen be dismissed from N. N. R. is made with the full appreciation of the fact that the manufacturers of Digalen and their agents have repeatedly stated that they desired to comply with the rules of the Council, and that they have withdrawn several statements to which the Council has taken exception, but the fact remains that despite these reiterations the advertisements of Digalen continue to embody statements which the Council can only consider misleading.
The Council believes that the following advertisements constitute gross therapeutic exaggerations:
“Digalen a sheet anchor in pneumonia; a strong support to the heart in this deadliest of infectious diseases among adults. The prompt action of Digalen, by intravenous or intramuscular injection makes it possible to save lives which might be otherwise hopelessly lost. The best digitalis preparation which we have at the present time.”[39]