Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health why the less poisonous and more efficient drug used for anti-syphilitic treatment, marphaside, which is much cheaper than less stable arsenical preparations still on the market, in spite of an imposed 25 per cent. Purchase Tax, is not being used sufficiently in Great Britain; is it recommended by his Department; and, if not, for what reasons?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe choice of anti-syphilitic drugs for the treatment of civilians is in the discretion of individual medical officers in charge of treatment centres. It is not the practice of my Department to recommend particular preparations for use in such centres, but I am advised that the claim that this preparation is less poisonous and more efficient is not substantiated by the evidence.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether the cases of jaundice following administration of the drug neo-arsphenamine in veneral disease treatment 1172W are regarded by his Departmental advisers as due to the poisonous effect of this drug on the liver cells of patients or as due to a virus infection from contamination during injection treatment; and whether any recent investigations, consultations, or inter-departmental conferences have taken place with or at his Ministry on this question?
§ Mr. BrownI am advised that the causes of jaundice following anti-syphilitic treatment are not known with any exactness, but that arsenical preparations such as neo-arsphenamine and the preparation known as mapharside undoubtedly play a part, though to what extent is not established. There is no clear evidence that virus infection during injection is a factor. My medical advisers took part in a recent conference at the War Office on this subject.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that marphaside, the drug known in the United States as marpharsen, has been recommended by the best venereal treatment opinion in the United States for the Armed Forces; that this recommendation has been accepted by the United States Government; whether every facility for the treatment of United States forces in Great Britain has been given; and whether this drug is now manufactured in Great Britain and available in sufficient quantities?
§ Mr. BrownI am aware that the drug referred to is used for the treatment of syphilis in the United States Army. No suggestion has reached me that there is any lack of facilities for treatment of United States Forces in Great Britain. The drug in question is manufactured in this country, but I have no information about the extent to which it is produced.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether, for the treatment of venereal disease, the order for 250,000 ampoules of neo-arsphenamine, an arsenical drug, has yet been placed; and, as this drug is more toxic, less efficient, less stable and more expensive than the drug known as marphaside, will he say who recommended this drug to his Department for anti-syphilitic treatment and what is the exact monetary value of the proposed drug order?
§ Mr. BrownI have no knowledge of the order to which my hon. Friend refers. My 1173W Department is not concerned to place any orders for anti-syphilitic remedies. I am advised that the use of neo-arsphenamine in the treatment of syphilis is recommended by the best medical experts in this disease.
Dr. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether his Department has any statistics showing the incidence of jaundice, especially toxic jaundice, and recurrent or relapsing jaundice, from the use of the arsenical preparation, neo-arsphenamine, in venereal disease treatment; and whether he has obtained any information or statistics from the medical departments of the British Armed Forces, and or from corresponding sources in the Allied Forces, especially those of Canada and the United States of America?
§ Mr. BrownInformation obtained from venereal disease treatment centres in England shows that during the ten years 1932 to 1941 there were 86 cases of jaundice severe enough to require hospital treatment. In the same period the number of cases of syphilis dealt with for the first time at the treatment centres was close on 131,000, and the estimated number of injections nearly 2½ million. The answer to the last part of the Question is "No."