§ 51. Colonel Lyonsasked the Lord President of the Council if he can make any statement on the efficacy and recent trials of the anti-bacterial product patulin; what steps are being taken by his department in the promotion of its usage and test; to what extent is it available; whether large-scale manufacture is being encouraged; and whether, and when, any Report has been made on it by the Medical Research Council.
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Attlee)In view of the inconsistent results of preliminary trials of patulin in the treatment of the comon cold, the Medical Research Council accepted an invitation to undertake the organisation and control of clinical trials on a larger scale. These 1471 trials have been in progress during the winter months in various industrial establishments and in a small number of schools. The results are now being analysed, and it is hoped that it will be possible to make a statement at an early date. Patulin is not at present generally available, and unless there is definite evidence of its value it would not be justifiable under existing conditions to encourage production on a large scale.