A Comparative Study of the Effect of Oral and Subcutaneous Banthine on Gastric Secretion from a New Innervated Gastric Pouch

Abstract

In 1950, Longino, Grimson, Chittum and Metcalf8 introduced a new, orallyeffective, quaternary ammonium salt, ethyl dimethyl beta-(9-xanthene carboxylate) ethyl ammonium chloride called Banthine. They stated that the dose they used produced prominent parasympatholytic effects, with minimal effects from sympathetic synaptic block. Grimson,3 in 1950, reported that he obtained excellent results with the use of this drug in the control of symptoms of peptic ulcer. Since that time, many favorable reports4. 6. 10 have been published. We have had a similar clinical experience with the use of Banthine and have shown, under controlled experimental conditions, that it produced considerable reduction in the volume and slight elevation of the hydrogen ion concentration of the gastric secretions from innervated gastric pouches in dogs.7 We have also reported a 90 per cent reduction in the volume of gastric secretion with the subcutaneous use of Banthine.2 We then decided to make a comparative study of the effect of oral and subcutaneous administration of banthine on gastric secretion in the same animals.