W. A. Puckner, Secretary.
Formamint is a proprietary medicine manufactured by the A. Wulfing Company (New York, London and Berlin), which is affiliated with the Bauer Chemical Company.
It has been widely advertised in Europe for several years, and is now on the American market;[14] it is advertised in this country both in newspapers and medical journals.
Following is a brief review of the more important alleged investigations that have been reported from time to time in various European journals.
In “The Therapeutical Value of Foramint in Septic Affections of the Oro-Pharynx,” De Santi[15] quotes Rosenberg,[16] who reports the successful use of Formamint in cases of streptococcus infections, tonsillitis and acute symptoms of chronic sore throat. According to Seifert,[17] Formamint is a chemical combination of formaldehyd and milk sugar. When the tablets are dissolved in the saliva, 0.01 per cent. of formaldehyd in its “status nascendi” is liberated and exercises a strong disinfectant action. Seifert states that the preparation is markedly palatable, since it contains a little citric acid to render the taste cool and refreshing. In some experiments with streptococci, pneumococci, typhoid and diphtheria bacilli, Seifert found that a solution of one tablet in 10 c.c. of water destroyed these germs in from five to ten minutes. A solution of the same strength was also added to culture tubes of broth, agar, and gelatin, with the result that no growth occurred in them, while distinct and characteristic development of the bacteria took place in control tubes. He does not state, however, how much Formamint solution was added to the mediums.
Daus[18] reports successful treatment of tonsillitis, mumps and middle ear diseases. In these cases no other gargles or mouth washes were used. He states that no indication of irritant or other injurious action made its appearance even after large doses. In the same article, F. Levy reports experiments as follows: Agar plates were prepared with a culture of streptococcus from a severe case of quinsy. One half of the plate was rubbed with saliva containing Formamint in solution. (The strength of the solution used is not given.) In twenty-four hours streaks of growth had appeared on one portion of the plates while the part on which the Formamint saliva had been rubbed remained sterile. Daus also found that agar and broth cultures of streptococcus shaken with Formamint saliva remained sterile.
Rheinboldt,[19] investigating the effects of Formamint and of ordinary formaldehyd on animals, concludes that formaldehyd is toxic in action while Formamint is not.
How the exploiters of Formamint capitalize the medical profession. Miniature reproductions of typical Formamint advertisements appearing in the newspapers.
Rosenberg[20] corroborates this statement. He also found that agar plates of Bacillus prodigiosus were killed by Formamint solutions in about four hours. He fails, however, to give the strength of his Formamint solutions.