APPLICATION OF DICOUMARIN (3,3'-METHYLENE-BIS-[4-HYDROXYCOUMARIN]) IN TRAUMA AND GANGRENE

Abstract

The problems of the control of intravascular disorders have been the subject of intensive investigation for many years. Recent developments in chemotherapy have produced an agent, dicoumarin (3,3'-methylene-bis-[4-hydroxycoumarin]), capable of inhibiting coagulation of blood in vivo. This compound exerts no anti-coagulant properties on blood directly but produces its effect through some organic tissue of the body. A survey of the literature¹ reveals that some interesting and valuable clinical results have been obtained with this compound. From current investigations² evidence is accumulating that the coagulation of blood can be impaired without deleterious effects on the organism. It is our purpose to demonstrate that therapeutic impairment of the coagulation mechanism by chemical agents has proved decidedly advantageous in cases of trauma and of various types of gangrene. Vascular failure resulting in thrombosis and gangrene has been found to be controllable by in vivo anticoagulants. Such surgical applications of these chemical