A STUDY OF THE STANDARDIZATION OF DIGITALIS. I. A METHOD FOR CLINICAL STANDARDIZATION

Abstract
The conditions for satisfactory clinical assay of digitalis are discussed, and a standard set outlined. Attempt was made to ascertain the feasibility of separating by clinical assay different strengths of the same tincture of digitalis. In the conditions of the expts., among the phenomena observed (which included symptoms, weight, blood pressure, cardiac rate, and various aspects of the electrocardiogram), only 1 seemed clearly helpful. The effect, under standard conditions, of 3 such samples, on the "Q-T" interval of the electrocardiogram, stated in relation to the cardiac cycle length, made it possible to distinguish potencies related as 75:100:125. Aged and fresh samples of the same tincture were similarly tested.