Absence of a Toxic Effect of Folic Acid on the Central Nervous System of Persons without Pernicious Anemia

Abstract

SUFFICIENT evidence has accumulated to indicate that folic acid alone cannot be safely used for the treatment of pernicious anemia.^{1 2 3} Response of the erythrocytes has not been so rapid⁴ and the maintenance of normal erythrocyte levels has not been so uniform with folic acid as with liver extract administered parenterally. The failure of folic acid to control the manifestations of spinal-cord damage makes its use alone a definite hazard in this disease. There are conditions in which folic acid is a valuable means of therapy, and even in pernicious anemia situations may arise for which its use in conjunction with . . .