USE OF DIMERCAPROL IN TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL NEURITIS

AFTER it had been demonstrated that dimercaprol injection U.S.P. (BAL) (2, 3-dimercaptopropanol) was an effective agent in the treatment of arsenical poisoning and polyneuritis, its use in the treatment of alcoholic and diabetic polyneuritis was reported by Furmanski. 1 Although the recommended doses in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning have been in the range of 3 to 5 mg. per kilogram of body weight every four hours, given in short courses, with later decreased doses, 2 Furmanski used small doses of dimercaprol for longer periods. Whereas in arsenic poisoning the largest nontoxic dose is used for maximum increase in urinary excretion of arsenic, 3 in the treatment of alcoholic polyneuritis an enzymatic action of dimercaprol was postulated. The four patients in the series did not respond to large doses of crude liver and vitamins, but did respond to daily doses of dimercaprol of approximately 1.5 mg. per kilogram of