i 7 8 



Scientific Proceedings (114). 



Pharmacological experiments with it showed distinct benzyl effects 

 on smooth muscle organs. The toxicity of the preparation was, 

 however, found to be greater than that of benzyl benzoate, for 

 rats, guinea pigs and cats, the ratio of toxicity between cinnamein 

 and benzyl benzoate being three to two. This drug was ad- 

 ministered therapeutically to a number of cases. It produced 

 very much the same effects as benzyl benzoate, but was found to 

 be very much more irritant to the stomach and therefore its use 

 was discontinued. 



While benzyl benzoate is not disagreeable to the taste of most 

 people, there are individuals who are nauseated by some of the 

 preparations on the market. For the treatment of such cases 

 attempts have been made to synthesize solid benzyl compounds. 

 A number of these have been examined by the author and with 

 one exception, benzyl succinate, were found to be inert. This is a 

 beautiful crystalline powder, soluble in alcohol, ether and chloro- 

 form and practically insoluble in water. It melts at 49°-50° C. 

 This drug is soluble also in olive oil. Experiments with benzyl 

 succinate have shown that it produces typical benzyl effects on 

 smooth muscle when ingested by mouth and when applied to 

 isolated tissues, but to a much lesser extent. This compound seems 

 to break up much more slowly than the benzoate when taken 

 into the body and as a consequence its action is much milder than 

 that of benzyl benzoate. The toxicity of this compound for 

 rats and cats was found to be practically the same as that of 

 benzyl benzoate. A number of clinical tests were made with the 

 drug. It was found to be much less effective than benzyl benzoate 

 in cases of spasmodic dysmenorrhea and still less so in cases of 

 bronchial spasm and angiospasm. The best therapeutic results 

 with this compound were obtained in gastro-intestinal cases. Here 

 a milder action than that of benzyl benzoate was produced but the 

 effects were possibly of longer duration owing to the slow break- 

 ing up of the drug. 



One of the indications for the therapeutic use of benzyl ben- 

 zoate originally described by the author was of angiospasm or 

 vascular hypertension. While benzyl benzoate was found to be 

 effective in many such cases, other patients failed to react to the 

 drug. It was deemed desirable to combine the anti-spasmodic 



