Volume 1

The extra pharmacopœia of Martindale and Westcott.

  • William Martindale
Date:
1920-1921
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The extra pharmacopœia of Martindale and Westcott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    We have included in this chapter an account of the compound known as “ Bayer 205.” It is not an Arsenical, but may be con¬ veniently dealt with here. It has been shown to exert a potent action on various trypanosomes, and also to possess prophylactic power. A drawback to its use is that it has an energetic action on the kidneys, but life with kidney impairment is thought pre¬ ferable to death from trypanosomiasis. Massive doses—as much as 5 Gm.—have been given intravenously, within 50 hours. Following closely on the heels of the German workers, the French produced a substance termed “ Fourneau 309.” Three French workers obtained a few centigrammes of the German compound, and by a study of the patents taken out by a German firm they evolved “ 309,” which appears to behave in an identical manner. The acute French chemical detective skill, in short, picked up the clue, and this may, in a measure, have foiled the attempts to keep the original discovery secret. Returning to actual Organic Arsenicals, we give a description of Tryparsamide, a derivative, containing in common with Sodium p-Amino-phenylarsonate, a pentavalent Arsenic atom. Here, also large doses have been administered. Alkali Bismuth Tartrates.—As a result of the advocacy of chemicals of this type by the French workers, for their utility in syphilis and other protozoal affections, it became necessary to go thoroughly into their chemistry. Considerable confusion arose, in part by the rather vague nomenclature used by our French friends, and in part by faulty translation from the French literature. For purposes of injection, these tartrates are neutral in reaction, and either a simple neutral Sodium Bismuthyl Tartrate or a combined neutral Sodium-Potassium Bismuthyl Tartrate is employed. Alternatively, one might employ a Potassium Bismuthyl Tartrate, but, on the whole, the Sodium-Potassium compound would seem best. “ Or¬ ganic ” Bismuth is given either in a sterile oil suspension, or with a more moderate range of doses, in aqueous solution. We provide working formulae to enable the pharmacist to prepare them, if he wishes. It is stated that in practice the spirochetes disappear rapidly from a syphilitic chancre, even after a couple of doses, with subsequent healing, and that in the secondary stages, eruptions and mucous patches clear up quickly. We w'ould give a wojd of warning on the subject. There are drawbacks to Bismuth medication ; gingivitis and stomatitis are relatively common sequelse, as also are effects on the digestive tract and kidneys. There are, in commerce, a considerable number of these “ Tar¬ trate ” compounds for injection—we have described those most in demand. As relatively a side issue, the acid preparations for use per os in conjunction with Pepsin are dealt with. A further step was the employment of Bismuth Oxide in fine suspension, as in the preparation Muthanol. To our ideu» this ?eems
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