Karl H. Beyer

Vasopressor components of pheochromocytomas.

Excerpt The purpose of this report is to present analyses of the pressor amine content of two pheochromocytomas and the metabolism of the hypertensive agents in these and a third tumor. Probably no...

Effect of Benzedrine Sulphate on Stomach Activity and Emptying Time.

Benzedrine sulphate is used clinically for the relief of pyloro-spasm and the facilitation of fluoroscopic and roentgenoscopic examination. Meyerson and Ritvo 1 reported that the drug brought about satisfactory disappearance of spastic manifestations in 85% of their cases. On the other hand ephedrine sulphate, a closely related sympatho-mimetic compound, in doses of 65 mg. was reported by Van Liere, Lough, and Sleeth 2 as prolonging the emptying time of the stomach from 72.8 to 118%. We were interested in determining the effect of benzedrine on initial and final emptying intervals and to what factors this action might be attributed. Two series of fluoroscopic studies were carried out on normal dogs. Dogs in series A were selected for long initial opening intervals and were fed an opaque meal of 4.1 gm. of barium sulphate and 12.1 gm. of milk per kilo. The dogs weighing from 8.5 to 10 kilos were given 20 mg. of benzedrine orally; those from 10 to 14 kilos were given 30 mg. Dogs in series B were fed a thicker meal of 4.1 gm. barium sulphate, 5 gm, of powdered dog biscuits, and 12.1 gm. of milk per kilo of body weight. These were litter mates and weighed within 2 kilos of each other. They were all given 30 mg. doses of benzedrine, orally. In both series the interval between the time the drug was given and the opaque meal fed was from 10 to 15 minutes. Table I summarizes the data concerning the effect of benzedrine sulphate on initial emptying of the stomach. In series A benzedrine reduced the average interval between the time the meal was given and its appearance in the intestine to 30.8% of the normal.