THE EARLY EFFECTS OF METRAZOL THERAPY IN CHRONIC PSYCHOTIC OVER-ACTIVITY

Metrazol treatment has been carried out in a group of 42 patients (16 men, 26 women) characterized by chronic excitement over a period of 6 months to 22 years. Of these, 40 were schizophrenics and 2 chronic manics. The age range of these patients was from 19 years to 60 years. Treatment was given daily, in dosages beginning with 3 cc. of 10 per cent solution, and terminated when further improvement seemed improbable. Such procedures as previous hydration, alkalinization and camphor-in-oil injection, advocated by Meduna and others, have been found unnecessary. It was found generally, as early effects, that there was marked general improvement after treatment; there was diminution of over-activity, over-talkativeness, aggressiveness, destructiveness and incontinence; the necessity for sedation dropped tp the vanishing point; and about half the patients became capable of productive work. Open masturbation, obscenity, ready irritability, incoherency of speech and escape attempts were much diminished. Apart from the psychiatric implications of these data, the observations appear to have significance for the administrative problems involved in the custodial care of chronically disturbed patients.