“They are uniformly efficient. More certain in effect than the ordinary Salicylates.”
It would be difficult to find an advertisement of equal length containing a greater number of misleading or directly false statements than are found in this one. The Journal (April 22, 1916, p. 1307) has called attention to the lack of justification for this absurd mixture of drugs and has discussed the preparation with especial reference to its use in acute rheumatism, in which the salicylates occupy a special field. The advertisement just quoted mentions La Grippe and “Flu” (or Influenza) as special fields of usefulness for this preparation. This, apparently, is merely an attempt to spread the sail for any breeze. Salicylates have a field of usefulness in influenza in that they often afford relief from pain. There is no reason to suppose that a mixture containing calcium and strontium salicylates—the “Calcium and Strontium Disalicylate” of Pulvoids Calcylates is probably a mixture of calcium and strontium salicylate[127]—has any greater salicylic effect than an equal amount of sodium salicylate. On the other hand, it is worse than useless to give colchicum, squill and digitalis for the relief of such pains.
Should cardiac dilatation develop, and digitalis medication be required it would be impossible to adjust the dose of such a mixture with special reference to the digitalis action, which alone would be indicated for that condition. No educated physician at present would think of giving resin of guaiac merely because his patient required digitalis, nor would he administer “cascarin,” whatever that may be, in fixed doses, every time he gave a dose of salicylate.
It is impossible to recognize the several effects induced by this therapeutic omneity, and the medical profession should consider it an insult to be offered mixtures such as Pulvoids Calcylates Compound.
Pulvoids Calcylates Compound is, per se, of no great importance; it is one of a type. It has been selected as one of the utterly irrational and therefore potentially dangerous mixtures, that may be found by the score or the hundred in the catalogues of practically every pharmaceutical manufacturing firm in the United States.—(From The Journal A. M. A., June 14, 1919.)
PROTEOGENS OF THE WM. S. MERRELL COMPANY
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The Council has adopted and authorized publication of the statement which appears below, declaring Proteogen No. 1 (Plantex) for Cancer, Proteogen No. 2 for Rheumatism, Proteogen No. 3 for Tuberculosis, Proteogen No. 4 for Hay Fever and Bronchial Asthma, Proteogen No. 5 for Dermatoses, Proteogen No. 6 for Chlorosis, Proteogen No. 7 for Secondary Anemia, Proteogen No. 8 for Pernicious Anemia, Proteogen No. 9 for Goitre, Proteogen No. 10 for Syphilis, Proteogen No. 11 for Gonorrhea, and Proteogen No. 12 for Influenza and Pneumonia inadmissible to New and Nonofficial Remedies because their composition is secret; because the therapeutic claims made for them are unwarranted; and because the secrecy and complexity of their composition makes the use of these preparations irrational.
The Council took up the consideration of the Merrell Proteogens because of inquiries received, and on January 27 invited the Merrell Company to aid in the proposed investigation by submitting information in regard to the composition of the preparations, submitting the current advertising, and presenting evidence for the claims that were made for the preparations. While the Merrell Company agreed to submit the requested information, this had not been received at the time the report of the referee to whom the products had been assigned (Referee 1), was adopted. This report was sent to the company on April 4. In reply the Merrell Company protested against the conclusions of the report and submitted considerable material in an attempt to support the claims made for the products. This material was examined by the first referee and then transmitted to a second referee (Referee 2) for consideration. The second referee concluded that the matter submitted offered no evidence that would justify the Council in modifying the report first adopted, and hence recommended that its publication be authorized.