STUDIES OF MORPHINE, CODEINE, AND THEIR DERIVATIVES XIII. A CLINICAL STUDY OF COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DIHYDROISOCODEINE AND CODEINE

¹ From the Middlesex County Sanatorium, Waltham, Massachusetts, and the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Dihydroisocodeine and standard codeine were used in a series of alternate administration experiments on advanced cases of tuberculosis complaining of cough. As tablets of identical size were used the substitution was made without the patients' knowledge. Daily observations were recorded by the patient, the nurse, and the physician in charge. The comparative effects particularly on cough and bowel movements were noted.

Dihydroisocodeine has no demonstrable clinical superiority over standard codeine in the usual therapeutic dosage but seems practically equivalent for purposes of cough control.

In the great majority of tuberculous patients requiring medication for cough relief, codeine, 10 mgm. orally, is a sufficient dose.