By the combination of salicylic acid and antipyrin is produced a crystallized powder having many of the qualities of both ingredients. The dose varies from five to thirty grains three or four times a day. The diseases in which it is employed are acute rheumatism, sciatica, meningitis, migraine, dysmenorrhoea, and other affections.

Methylene Blue

Pyoktanin blue is one of the anilin colors, utilized by its proposers as an antiseptic, under the name pyoktanin, so called because of its power to restrain suppuration. It was first employed by Stilling, who demonstrated the property to inhibit the organisms of suppuration, for which he employed solutions of 1 to 1,000, to 100.

In its physiological actions pyoktanin corresponds to the other derivatives of the series, but it has some special powers. Taken by the stomach it is apt to cause vomiting, or rather regurgitation, the contents of the stomach coming up without effort. What is brought up thus is stained a deep purplish color. There is more or less staining of the whole canal. It is very diffusible. When applied to an ulcerated surface it passes into the cells and arrests their growth.

When it enters the vessels it decomposes the haemoglobin, colors the blood a chocolate tint, fixes the blue in the blood-corpuscles, the liver-cells, and the mucous membrane of the gall-ducts, and the whole body acquires a bluish-purple coloration. It lowers the blood-pressure, lessens the respiration, diminishes the sensibility of the sensory nerves, and is more or less hypnotic and antipyretic. It has, however, so much toxic action on the blood that it is not likely to be employed in the class of cases in which acetanilid, antipyrin, and others have been of late so successfully employed. The pain-relieving power of pyoktanin has, however, been made available by Immerwahr, who employed it successfully at Briegel's policlinic in trigeminal neuralgia, migraine (alcoholic), muscular rheumatism, herpes zoster, and sciatica. Vicutic employed pyoktanin by subcutaneous injection (a syringeful of a two-per-cent solution) in the same kind of cases as those just mentioned, and also in pill, one to three grains, in headache, alcoholic neuritis, acute rheumatism, the pains of locomotor ataxia, etc.

It is, however, as a topical application to suppurating surfaces, to ulcers and cancer, that pyoktanin has been employed with the greatest advantage. In the hands of Mosetig-Moorhoff it has proved to be a remedy of real value in the treatment of cancer—if not curative, at least distinctly retarding the growth and changing its aspect. For this purpose a solution of the strength of 1 to 500, or stronger, is injected beneath and about the tumor and into its substance. There can be no doubt that it diffuses into the cellular elements, so that they lose their vitality and the morbid action is arrested. In gonorrhoea, an injection of pyoktanin is highly effective; it is especially destructive of the gonococcus. A solution of 1 to 1,000 is about that ordinarily required. Pyoktanin has also been used with success in the treatment of carbuncle, abscesses, and suppurative process of the ear and other parts.

Dr. Ferreira, of Rio Janeiro, has employed pyoktanin with success in the treatment of intermittent fever in infants. It is easily administered, and causes no nausea or vomiting. It acts, he supposes, on the germ characteristic of the malarial disease, and also as an antipyretic. Ehrlich and Guttman assert that this agent colors the plasmo-dia, prevents their development, and causes them to disappear gradually; but other observers dispute this fact.

Authorities referred to:

Burghard, Frederic F. On the Action of Methyl Violet, especially on its Use in Gonorrhoea. Lancet, May 23, 1891.

Combemale, Dr. Recherches expérimentales et cliniques (upon methylene blue, etc.). Bul. Gén. de Thérap., August 30, 1891.

Egasse, Ed. Les nouveaux antiseptiques. Bui. Gén. de Thérap., juin 15, 1891.

Immerwahr, Dr. Robert. Ueber des Methylenblau als Antineuralgicum. Deut, Wochenschrift. Quoted in Virchow u. Hirsch's Jahresbericht for 1891.

Stilling, Dr. J. Ueber Anilinfarbstoffe ah Antiseptica. Archiv für experiment. Pathologie und Pharmacologie, Band xxviii, p. 351.

Wancher, O. Therapeutische Monatshefte, February, 1891, p. 141.

Vicutic, Nicolaus. Wien. Ztg., No. 44, p. 494. Quoted by V. and H. for 1891.