The Ammonium Chloride Treatment of Schizophrenia

Abstract

Meduna introduced the cardiazol treatment of schizophrenia, following an observation of the supposed rarity of the coexistence of epilepsy and schizophrenia and an observation of improvement in two schizophrenics who developed convulsions. Since then other drugs akin to cardiazol have been introduced, and recently electrically induced convulsions have been tried. It is generally agreed that there are certain complications and many objections to the use of cardiazol as a convulsant. Extreme apprehension and fear of treatment are present in almost every case. In some cases the patients' apprehension is so great that they decline treatment, saying that their dread of it makes them worse. It is a great obstacle preventing co-operation in the treatment. The other complications are the dislocation of the jaw, shoulder or hips, fractures of the arms or leg, sometimes the thigh, fracture of the spine and decalcification; cerebral haemorrhage and rarely lung abscesses and embolism have been reported.