IND U ST RIAL
andENGINEERING C H E M I S TRY Published by the Ameriosn Chemical Eariety
HARRISON E. HOWE. Editor
EDITORIALS RANCIS PATRICK GARVAN occupied a unique place in American history. He had gained distinction in his chosen profession, the law, long before the promotion of science became his principal interest. The Chemical Foundation, Inc., was conceived and formed by Mr. Garvan for the sole purpose of administering patents, patent applications, trade-marks, and copyrights being effectively used as a weapon by Germany in the war. The Chemical Foundation, Inc., saw to it that this property, purchased from the Alien Property Custodian, was used in the public interest for the development of an organic chemical industry in the United States and for the furtherance of science. Forced into long litigation with the Government during the Harding administration, the Chemical Foundation, Inc., through Mr. Garvan, asserted that the President was being duped by German interests anxious to regain the patents. The Foundation was successful in all the courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the opinion of which virtually placed the Foundation in the position of a trustee for the American chemical industry. Mr. Garvan lived to see the synthetic organic chemical industry grow to fourth place among American industries. Mr. Garvan, who was joined in his work of philanthropy and education by his devoted wife, did more than any other layman to familiarize the public with the proper place of chemistry in everyday life. Prize essay contests were made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Garvan, and hundreds of thousands of books and pamphlets freely made available in connection with that enterprise. But there was no sphere of public activities which he left untouched. Dozens of young people were assisted in their chemical education, and scores of professors were aided in their researches through grants quickly made available when convincing evidence was presented as to the need and importance of the work. Educational institutions, hospitals, publications, all received help a t his hand, and the National Farm Chemurgic Council is indebted almost wholly to him for its existence and maintenance. He substantially aided projects in the fields of physics, radiology, and many medical specialties.
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As time went on Mr. Garvan became more and more convinced of the possibility of the economic independence of the United States through the application of science in the utilization of our natural resources and struck out boldly and persistently against any movement or any idea that ran counter to his clearly defined economic nationalism. He gave as generously of his time as he did of his money, was sincere, patient, kindly, and helpful. Many an industry, organization, and individual owes him an everlasting debt of gratitude. His fundamental creed was to make the United States the best possible living place for all the people.
Unprotected H E number of deaths known to have been caused by the “elixir” of sulfanilamide distributed by the S. E. Massengill Company of Bristol, Va.-Tenn., now exceeds 70, and it is unlikely that anyone will ever know the complete record.‘ How can the recurrence of such a tragedy be prevented? A number of spectacular cures made with sulfanilamide in the hands of skilled physicians early called attention to the potentialities of a compound about which not too much was then or is now known. A specific for certain types of coccus infections was sure to have wide application, and a number of manufacturers began production of this compound, which was quickly made readily available in most drug stores. In some cases the dry tablet was difficult to swallow, so when salesmen began to report that even better business could be done if the drug were in solution, the S. E. Massengill Company searched for a satisfactory solvent, and unfortunately decided on diethylene glycol. Notwithstanding the extensive literature on the glycols, including ethylene, diethylene, and propylene glycol, and, so far as we have been able to learn, without making any physiological tests with the mixture, the company began to put it on the market. Something more than 700 shipments had been made by the time appeals started to come in for antidotes, advice as to treatment of cases, and distress signals from various places. The American Medical Association did all
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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
within its power t o assist, and the officials of the Food and Drug Administration earned hearty commendation for the swiftness with which they acted and the completeness of their search, which extended in the case of opened packages to the very medicine cabinets in private homes and hospitals. Be it noted, however, that the Government had to make its seizures first because of mislabeling. The mixture was not an “elixir.” It, is like convicting a murderer on the charge of speeding or income tax evasion. Note, too, that most of the deaths were among patients of physicians who had prescribed the “elixir.” Evidently some members of the pharmaceutical profession, whose chosen duty it is to protect the health of the public, failed tragically in that prescriptions were filled with a substance the composition of which they did not know. It is also well-nigh criminal that those responsible for making the “elixir” did not at least consult the literature or indeed the manufacturers of diethylene glycol, who have habitually discouraged and recommended against diethylene glycol for any internal use. The public, notwithstanding all our efforts, remains unprotected to a sad degree. While pending legislation to broaden the powers of the Food and Drug Administration would be helpful in discouraging a recurrence, such laws in the very nature of things are punitive and have to do with locking the stable after the horse is many miles away. It is regrettable, but true, that, among the scores of thousands of physicians, there are so many who are incapable that we cannot depend on the medical profession alone for complete protection. The physician, in common with many of the public, somehow has the oyinion that because a preparation for internal use is on the market it must have been approved by federal or state authorities. Nothing is further from the truth, since these products are not manufactured under license and a t present only mislabeling, short weight, miscount, or very obvious detriment to the public health are causes for seizure. And so we find ourselves at times unable to depend upon the protection which the literature, the drug manufacturer, the pharmacist, the physician, or federal authorities might be supposed to give us. What can be done about it? Why license electricians and plumbers and allow any one who has the capital to engage, without let or hindrance, in the manufacture of our medicines? We suggest, notwithstanding our objection t o extensive control, that some federal agency must be given the power to license those who would manufacture drugs, pharmaceuticals, and similar compounds, mixtures, or materials for internal use. Perhaps the U. S. Public Health Service should add this to its list of activities, with some reasonable fee for the license, thereby placing the whole transaction in the Treasury Department. Such licenses, which should be on an annual basis, would be granted only after competent authorities
VOL. 29, NO. 12
were convinced of the ability and intent of the manufacturer to take all possible steps to protect the public and that he was prepared to use the highest approved standards. A further safeguard might be the required disclosure on the label of the bottle or other package of the composition of the contents and some authoritative approval for intended use prior to distribution. Whatever may be done in this direction the difficulty of assuring proper use is still to be overcome. Education must be regardkd as a continuing process. Notice has already been broadcast, discouraging the promiscuous use of Sulfanilamide, advising it only where the infection is by organisms susceptible to its action, urging the physician to individualize and make the diagnosis, to attempt to make the dosage compatible with each individual requirement, determine quantitatively the concentration of the drug in the blood and keep it below 15 mg. per cent, and watch the hemoglobin, the white blood cell count, and the daily excretion of the drug. Things known to be harmful in their cross action when given with sulfanilamide must be avoided. Here is a compound of great potentialities and a creditable history. It must not be misused, nor should the reputation of diethylene glycol in its proper place suffer because of criminal carelessness born of greed in this case. Other compounds considered harmless might prove toxic if taken in equally massive doses. Out of it all it is t o be hoped that some procedure will be evolved which will be a distinct gain for the public, even though it is won, as are so many advances, at such frightful aost.
Butyric Acid-Not
Butter
N AN editorial entitled “Tracers” in our October 1 issue, we erred in interpreting the work of Rudolf Schoenheimer as reported a t the Rochester meeting, and gave our readers reason to hope that they could help themselves to butter without adding to the deposit of fat in inconvenient places. The facts in the case are these: Animal experiments with fatty acids labeled with deuterium indicate that the higher acids, palmitic, stearic, and oleic, containing 16 and 18 carbon atoms to the molecule, are very slowly metabolized after ingestion, being largely deposited in the fat tissues prior to oxidation. On the other hand, the lowest naturally occurring members of the fatty acid series, butyric and caproic acids (containing 4 and 6 carbon atoms, respectively) are metabolized with surprising rapidity, and when labeled by deuterium cannot be detected in the fat depots. The above observations hear on the metabolism of butter fat only to the extent to which butter contains these lower acidsnamely, 5 to 6 per cent. Of the fate of the intermediate acids, caprylic (Ca), capric ( G o ) , lauric (CU),and myristic (G), whjch constitute in all some 15 per cent of the acids of butter, nothing has as yet been ascertained by the deuterium technic. Statements in the daily press to the effect that butter fat is burned more rapidly than other fats may be correct, but are premature and lack experimental foundation. Only a systematic metabolic study of all the naturally occurring fatty acids can enable a decision to be reached. Such an investigation might explain why the newborn require a fat of such peculiar composition as that of milk. The statement, given wide currency in the press, that butter, in contrast to other fats, is not fattening, is undoubtedly as incorrect as it is unjustified.
