Succinate of sodium was introduced as a saline cathartic, with the claim that it exerts an antiseptic action on the biliary passages and gallbladder. There is no satisfactory evidence to substantiate this claim.
The Council maintains a liberal attitude toward new preparations, but it feels that it is impossible to determine the value of the several constituents of such complex mixtures when used as such; it holds that these mixtures are superfluous and that the several substances of which they are composed should be used singly or at most with greater attention to the individual requirements of the patient than is possible when these fixed mixtures are prescribed.
Despite the fact that these mixtures have been in use for more than nine years, there is no satisfactory evidence that they possess any advantage over the simple laxatives or the preparations of bile or pancreatic extract. They are therefore held to be in conflict with Rule 10, and the Council has directed that they be not included in N. N. R. after Dec. 31, 1918.
Having adopted the preceding report, the Council, in accordance with its regular procedure, submitted this to Fairchild Bros. and Foster for comment.
The following reply was received:
We are entirely at variance with you in the arbitrary conclusion expressed concerning the inimical influence of mixtures on therapeutic progress, the practice of medicine and the public welfare.
If the combinations of Holadin and Bile Salts, etc., in capsules, were ever properly within the scope of New and Nonofficial Remedies, they should be retained. If, however, complex mixtures are to be held as, a priori, unworthy of consideration, the rejection of all would naturally be a logical proceeding.
We believe that the particular combination of Holadin and Bile Salts etc., have been clearly in the line of therapeutic progress—a natural evolution, improvement and development.
For many years combinations of pancreatic extract and ox gall had naturally suggested themselves.
When we realized the fact that the bile salts were quite clearly the active principles of the bile, and that they must necessarily exist in greatly varying percentages in the official inspissated or ox gall, and also because these ox gall products of pharmacy were of extremely varying density, even from that of treacle to resin—and of other objectionable character, we undertook to prepare bile salts.