On the pharmacological action of some phthaleins and their derivatives : with especial reference to their behavior as purgatives. I / by John J. Abel and L.G. Rowntree.

  • John Jacob Abel
Date:
[1909?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the pharmacological action of some phthaleins and their derivatives : with especial reference to their behavior as purgatives. I / by John J. Abel and L.G. Rowntree. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Ill. BOTH SUBSTANCES HAVE A LOW TOXICITY Vamossy,’? Unterberg,? Wenhardt,°® Kastle,’® Fleig, Elmer,” and Gillette have shown that this statement is true for phenolphthalein, while our own experiments prove that it holds also for its tetrachlor derivative. Neither drug when administered by mouth is absorbed in any but small amounts from the digestive tract, so that their toxic action must be determined by subcutaneous or intravenous admin- istration. Fleig has shown that considerable amounts of phenol- phthalein in the form of its sodium salt may be injected directly into the blood stream of an animal without noticeable injury. We have found that phenoltetrachlorphthalein is equally innocuous when admin- istered in this way. The aqueous solutions of the disodium salt of both phenolphthalein and its tetrachlor derivative, whether intended for subcutaneous or intravenous injections, were always prepared as follows: An excess of the phthalein was suspended in 90 cc. of a weak solution of sodium chloride, say 3;, 10 cc. of 2N NaOH solution were added and the mixture was boiled in a flask connected with a reflux condenser for twenty minutes, then freed from the undissolved phthalein by filtra- tion. In the case of phenolphthalein this gives a 3.62 per cent solu- tion of the sodium salt and in the case of its tetrachlor derivative the solution contains 5 (more accurately 4.99) per cent of the sodium salt. Neglecting hydrolytic dissociation, the degree of which could be estimated only roughly, solutions thus prepared do not differ much from blood serum in tonicity. Carbonie-acid must not be allowed to come into contact with these solutions. Even when solutions are protected against the entrance of this gas, precipitation of the free phthaleins soon occurs in consequence of the loss of alkali from union with the silicates of the containing flasks. 7 Therapie der Gegenwart. Jahrg., Ixiii, 1902. 8’ Therapie der Gegenwart. Jahrg., lxiii, 203, 1902. ® Die Heilkunde, vi, 212, 10 Bull. No. 26, p. 23, Hygienic Laboratory, U.S. Public Health and Marine Hos- pital Service. 11 Loe. cit. 12 Medical Record, November 14, 1908. 3 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., li, No. 21, p. 1783. 4 Of the tetrachlor derivative 4.8 grams, of phenolphthalein 3.4 grams were taken.
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