OF PHYSICIANS. 



19 



that an effort >hould IK- made to acquaint the general public with 

 tin- ill effect > which may reasonably be expected to follow such use. 



In reply to tlu> inquiry by the Department, 112 instances of the 

 acetanilid habit were reported, 7 of the antipyrin habit, and IT of 

 the phenacetin habit. It -lion Id be remembered, however, that neither 

 the>e cases nor tho-e which are recorded in medical literature give 

 an adequate indication of the extent to which these drugs are used 

 habitually, inasmuch a< only those cases have been reported in which 

 the ill effect ~ were BO marked as to call for the services of a physician. 

 IntereMiiiLi information with regard to the habitual use of these drugs 

 can be ol)tained by ron>nlting the original reports of the cases re- 

 corded in medical literature. 



MI i mm l.V IN WHAT FOKM WAS THE DRUG TAKEN? 



[ In thf <-;is,- <,f Ii;iliitii:il users.) 



From thi- it appear- that proprietary preparations were used in at 

 lea-t ."'<. oi 1 !.' per cent, of the 11^ instances of the habitual use of 

 acetanilid. 



MM>M..N ].;. \\tia TIIIKI ANY Ii.i. 



(!IVE DESCRIPTION. 



'I he number of nan in which ill effects were observed from the 

 u-e ,.f acrtanilid \\a- *O, from antipyrin J, and from phenacetin 7. 

 The chief -vmptom^ olerved from the habitual use of these drugs 

 may be briefly ela-ilied as follows: Nervous depression, 44 cases; 

 cyanosis, 27 cases; anemia. \:> cases; cardiac depression, 18 cases; 

 dy-pnea on exertion, S cases; insomnia, 4 cases; constipation, 3 cases; 

 lo- of memory. :J cases; icterus, 1 case; muscular twitchings, 1 case; 

 lo- of ^exual power. 1 ca.-o; edema, 2 cases, and increased headache, 

 _' cases. 



MI i si ION IT. WERE THERE ANY PROTRACTED ILL EFFECTS? 



The replie> submitted in answer to this question show that pro- 

 tracted ill etl'ects were observed in the case of acetanilid in 38 in- 

 stance-. with antipyrin in 2 instances, and with phenacetin in 5 in- 

 stances. The < hronic symptoms most often noted were anemia, gen- 

 eral debility, nervousness, and weak and irregular heart action. 



