2IO 
Standardization  of  Digitalis. 
(  A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       May,  1911. 
The  final  test  of  any  method  of  drug  assay  must  rest  with  the 
cHnician.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  no  such  clinical  trial  has  been 
made  of  the  guinea-pig  method ;  while  Pratt  in  this  country  and 
Focke  ^  in  Germany,  have  shown  conclusively  that  the  therapeutic 
value  of  digitalis  leaves  runs  parallel  with  the  potency  as  determined 
by  the    frog  heart "  methods. 
In  conclusion,  we  may  say: 
1.  That  the  variations  in  the  reaction  of  frogs  can  be  nullified 
by  the  use  of  ouabain  as  a  standard. 
2.  That  it  has  certainly  not  been  proved  that  guinea-pigs  possess 
any  marked  advantages  as  experimental  animals  for  testing  digitalis 
over  frogs. 
3.  That  lethal  dose  methods  are  unsafe,  while  the  one-hour  frog 
heart  method  is  both  a  good  qualitative  and  quantitative  test  for 
the  heart  tonics. 
I  wish  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Dr.  J.  P.  Simonds 
and  Mr.  C.  R.  Eckler  for  assistance  in  the  collection  of  data. 
Pharmacological  Laboratory  of  Eli  Lilly  and  Company, 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
^  Arms,   B.  L. :    "  Some  Freak  Results   from  Animal   Inoculation."  A., 
Journal  of  Public  Hygiene,  vol.  xix,  No.  3. 
^  Crawford,  A.  C. :    "  Notes  on  Physiological  Testing,"  Am.  Journal  of 
Pharmacy,  July,  1908. 
*  Cushny :    "  Pharmacology  and  Therapeutics,  or  the  Action  of  Drugs." 
Fifth  edition. 
'Edmunds,  C.  W.,  and  Roth,  G.  B. :  "  Physiologic  Assay  of  Nitro- 
glycerine Tablets,  Digitalin  Tablets,  and  Fluidextract  of  Ergot."  Jour. 
Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  Dec.  19,  1908. 
"  Edmunds,  C.  W.,  and  Hale,  W. :  "  The  Physiological  Standardization  of 
Digitalis."  Bl.  48,  Hyg.  Lab.,  U.  S.  Public  Health  and  Marine  Hospital 
Service. 
°  Fraenkel :  "  Ueber  die  physiologische  Dosirung  von  Digitalispraparaten." 
Therapie  der  Gegenwart,  vol.  4,  1902,  p.  106. 
'  Focke,  C. :  "  Die  Physiologische  Wertbestummung  der  Digitalisblatter." 
Arch,  der  Pharmazie,  Bd.  241,  1903 ;  "  Der  Jetizige  Stand  der  Digitalis- 
prufung;  Ihr  Wert  fiir  die  Praxis  und  fur  die  Forschung."  Ibid, 
Bd.  247,  1909;  "Die  Kurzzeitige  Injektionsmethode  der  Physiologischen 
Digitalis  und  Strophanthusprunfung,"  Ibid,  Bd.  248,  1910. 
'  Githens,  T.  S.,  and  Vanderkleed,  C.  E. :  "  Physiologic  Standardization 
of  Cardiac  Stimulants  and  Depressants,  etc."  American  Journal  of 
Pharmacy,  Oct.,  1910. 
