TRIPELENNAMINE "PYRIBENZAMINE" OINTMENT FOR THE RELIEF OF ITCHING

Abstract

The palliative benefit produced by the oral administration of tripelennamine hydrochloride ("pyribenzamine hydrochloride" N. N. R.) and other antihistaminic drugs on the symptoms of many allergic manifestations has now been fully demonstarted.¹ In the dermatoses the effect of these drugs has been to reduce the edema of the lesions, but above all they have been effective in the relief of the pruritus. There is some evidence that even pruritus not definitely ascribable to an allergic cause, such as pruritus due to icterus or to diabetes, has been relieved by these drugs. We have shown also² that the local application of a solution of the antihistaminic substance to a scratch on the skin inhibits the normal whealing from histamine or that from an antigen, such as ragweed, in an allergic person. We further demonstrated that a solution such as tripelennamine hydrochloride would penetrate the skin when applied to the