Clinical Trial of Promazine Hydrochloride and Acetylpromazine in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

The last few years have produced an extensive literature on the chemotherapy of schizophrenia (Foote, 1955; Shepherd and Watt, 1956; Wing, 1956; Kinross-Wright, 1957). Enthusiastic reports continue to appear in the American journals (Feldman, 1957; Winkelman, 1957) whereas a more cautious note is usually struck in psychiatric papers published in this country. The value of reserpine is now generally accepted (Moore and Mankin, 1957; Elkes, 1957) but it is not without dangerous side-effects (Wardell, 1957). Chlorpromazine is now used extensively and is probably a safer drug; the danger of jaundice has not proved to be a real contra-indication to the use of the drug. However, reports of deaths during treatment with chlorpromazine have been published (Stënback, 1956).