418 
Naphthalol. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\     August,  1887. 
ON  NAPHTHALOL. 
By  E.  Kobert. 
Salol,  introdueed  by  Nencki,  (see  Am.  Jour.  Phar.  1880,  pp. 
380,  552,)  is  rather  poisonous,  because  it  contains  38  per  cent,  phenol. 
Merck  has  prepared  a  substance  of  the  formula  C6H4OH  CO  OC10H7, 
named  naphtalol  or  naphtolsalol.  It  is  an  ether-like  compound  like 
ordinary  salol ;  instead  of  the  poisonous  phenol  it  contains  /3-naphthol, 
which  is  relatively  non-poisonous.  Kobert  has  made  experiments  with 
it  on  animals  and  man,  to  determine  its  physico-chemical  behavior 
and  its  effect  on  the  digestive  ferments.  He  has  arrived  at  the  follow- 
ing conclusions: — 
(1)  The  drug  is  insoluble  in  water,  odorless,  tasteless;  it  is  not 
dissolved  or  decomposed  by  acids,  gastric  j  uice,  nor  by  pepsin. 
(2)  It  is  quickly  decomposed  by  the  pancreatic  and  other  ferments 
which  are  produced  by  the  living  mucous  membrane  of  the  small 
intestine,  as  shown  by  experiments  on  rabbits,  dogs,  calves,  oxen,  rats, 
and  sheep.  Phenolsalol,  according  to  Nencki,  is  decomposed  by  the 
pancreas. 
(3)  The  mucous  membrane  of  the  coecum  and  vermiform  process  of 
animals  acts  on  the  drug  in  a  similar  manner. 
(4)  The  mucous  membrane  of  the  colon  also  decomposes  it,  although 
to  a  less  extent. 
(5)  The  stomach  is  not  affected  by  the  drug. 
(6  j  Doses  of  *3  to  *5  gr.  daily  cause  no  disagreeable  general  symj)toms, 
no  noises  in  the  ear,  fullness  of  the  head,  and  such  as  are  occasionally 
produced  by  the  phenolsalol. 
(7)  In  man,  naphtholsalol  after  administration  by  the  mouth  appears 
in  the  urine  in  the  same  form  as  salicylic  acid,  viz.,  as  a  body  which 
becomes  of  a  violet  color  in  contact  with  perchloride  of  iron. 
(8)  No  symptoms  of  poisoning  were  observed,  even  after  several 
weeks'  administration  of  the  above-mentioned  doses. 
(9)  Animals  can  bear  much  larger  doses  without  the  general  condi- 
tion being  injuriously  influenced.  A  hen  was  not  ill  after  having  three 
grains  within  two  days. 
(10)  The  drug  was  found  very  useful,  and  at  least  as  valuable  as 
other  medicaments,  in  various  forms  of  catarrh  of  the  bladder,  especi- 
ally in  gonorrheal  cystitis,  with  alkaline  decomposition  of  the  urine. 
The  urine  soon  became  clear  and  acid,  the  formed  elements  in  it  were 
diminished  in  number,  and  the  pains  of  the  patients  became  easy. 
