A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ANTIDOTAL ACTION OF PICROTOXIN, STRYCHNINE AND COCAINE IN ACUTE INTOXICATION BY THE BARBITURATES

¹ From the Departments of Pharmacology of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, and Howard University School of Medicine, Washington, D. C.

The results of a comparative study of the relative efficiency of cocaine, strychnine and picrotoxin as antidotes for eleven typical barbituric acid compounds are presented.

Cocaine and strychnine exerted antidotal properties but both of these drugs were found to be inferior in this respect to picrotoxin.

Even where the ranges of effectiveness were identical, or nearly so, the percentage of actual recoveries from picrotoxin was in each series greater than that from strychnine or cocaine.

Cocaine and strychnine were practically valueless in counteracting the toxic effects of pernocton and noctal.

These results point to the conclusion that for antidotal purposes, and especially in critically severe cases of bartiburate intoxication picrotoxin should be the drug of choice.

Qualitative differences in the various barbiturates appear to be indicated.