The Therapeutical 
USE OF 
A Specific 
Bin-iodized Oil 
SYPHILIS 
BY 
Dr. Ph. CHAPELLE, 
£icenci£ gs-sciences Physiques, 
Ancien intern eu Pharinacie des Hopitaux 
de Paris. 
Pr6parateur dechimie Analytique a l’Ecole 
Sup£rieure de Pharuiaeie de Paris, 
Mddailld de l’Assistance Publique. 
1901 The therapeutical use of 
Cypridol 
(fl specific Bin-iodizei Oil) 
in 
SYPHILIS 
Dr Ph. CHAPELLB CYPRIDOL 
We have three practical methods at our 
disposal, for realizing the absorption of 
mercurials; by inunction, by the mouth 
and by hypodermic injection. 
Cutaneous inunction has given excellent 
results, but has some serious disadvantages. 
It is objectionable on account of its soiling 
the linen, and repugnant to most patients; 
it often exposes the patient to local irrita- 
tion and inflammation of the mucous mem- 
branes of the mouth, for after consecutive 
inunctions, acute stomatitis begins with 4 
violence and is less easy to control than by 
other methods of mercurial ingestion. 
Dr Fournier, in his Lessons on Syphilis, 
remarks : « Whatever care is taken, there is 
always a certain risk with inunctions and 
this treatment should therefore be always an 
exceptional one ». The ingestion of mercury 
by the digestive organs, with the preparations 
commonly used, is quite as unreliable as the 
treatment by inunctions. 
Professor Panas tells us : « It is well 
known that nearly all the salts of mercury are 
caustic in their action on the tissues. It is 
not therefore astonishing to see so many 
syphilitics become dyspeptic, subject to 
diarrhoea and lose flesh owing to the local 
action of mercury )). 
The hypodermic methodf in which we 
include the intra-cellular, intra-muscular and 
intra-venous, is the only one which is above 5 
all criticism and then onlv one condition that 
j 
the medicament be regularly asssimilable. 
The energetic effects of injections of in- 
soluble mercurials (yellow oxide, calomel, etc.) 
has led some authorities to advise their use 
at intervals, so as to constitute a mercurial 
reserve, which the organism can draw on 
from time to time, but this has the same 
inconvenience as the intensive mercurial 
inunction, for nothing permits us to control the 
absorption of an insoluble medicament existing in 
massive doses. 
We must not forget also the almost ine- 
vitable disadvantages, such as painful symp- 
toms, abscesses, and functional inability of the 
members so injected. 
Professor Gaucher makes a protest against 
the irrational use of insoluble preparations. 
This judicious criticism applies equally 6 
to the hypodermic method as well as the 
administration of mercury by the mouth. 
Hypodermic injections of soluble prepara- 
tions of mercury, are free from these objec- 
tions, although they require to be renewed 
frequently and afford a meansof graduating 
at will the medication, according to the sus- 
ceptibility of the patient and the progress of 
the affection. 
Of all soluble mercurial preparations, 
the specific bin-iodized Oil recommended 
by professors Panas, Fournier, Lancereaux, 
Brissaud and adopted by the leading specia- 
lists for venereal diseases, is that which offers 
the greatest advantages. (See recent reports to 
medical congresses.) 
The commercial preparations do not 
keep well and are irritating to the tissues, 
besides which their feeble concentration, 
(which does not exceed more than 4 parts 7 
of IL T2 per iooo), renders a too frequent 
recourse to injections necessary, and in prac- 
tice, the utility of these dilute solutions, is 
limited to the cutaneous inunctions. 
A new mode of preparation has recently 
been discovered which consists in utilizing 
the solubility of nascent bin-iodide in the 
proportion of 10 parts of Hg I2 in iooo of a 
neutral aseptic oil, which keeps indefinitly. 
This “specificoil” is calledCYPRIDOL, 
a name which is convenient to prescribe, as 
it gives neither the patient, nor these around 
him, any information as to the medicament 
or the nature of the disease under treatment. 
The CYPRIDOL or i o/o “ Specific ” 
bin-iodized Oil, can be given by the mouth 
in capsules each containing 2 milligrammes 
(i/3oth grain) of active principle, or by the 
hypodermic intra-mu'cular injections accor- 
ding to the method of Professor Panas. 8 
The two methods can be combined or 
alternated, or either one or the other adopted 
exclusively, according to the circumstances 
of this very erratic diathesis. 
The administration by the mouth is per- 
fectly logical, as the absorption only commences 
m the intestines where it is emulsified, and 
infinitely divided by reason of the secre- 
tions of the liver and the pancreas, which 
conditions are most advantageous for the 
stomach, which is not in any way interfered 
with, while complete assimilation of the 
medicament is insured. 
In a word, CYPRIDOL capsules unite the 
advantages which we look for in soluble, and 
slowly soluble mercurial treatments, without 
exhibiting their respective inconveniences. 
Thesame reasoningevidentlyapplies to the 
intra-muscular injections of CYPRIDOL. 
Its absorption explains itself by the local 9 
formation of lymph cells and the ultimate 
action of the lipeses. 
The injections should be made slowly in 
the midst of the mass of muscular tissue; 
the needle penetrating completely. 
The zones which are most adapted to the 
injections, are the sub and retro-trochanterian 
regions, the sacro-lumbar mass. 
The choice of a spot having been made, 
the epiderm should be rubbed energetically 
with some cotton wool imbibed with 
alcohol or even a few drops of CYPRIDOL, 
in order to insure local aseptic conditions. 
The injection may be made with the 
special syringe made for cypridol injections, 
the piston of which is regulated by a micro- 
metric screw, which even the patient him- 
self can be trusted to handle without danger. 
l/5u cubic centimetre of Cypridol represents 2 milligr. of bin-iodide. 
Half a — — — — 5— — 
One — — — — io — — 10 
Or if English weights and measures are 
preferred, we can say. 
. . . 1 ** . 
I minim of Cypridol represents grain of bin-iodide. 
• • | 
5 minims of Cvpridoi represents -— grain of bin-iodide. 
. . I lk . ... 
10 minims of Cypridol represents —— grain of bin-iodide. 
Experiments made on animals with intra- 
venous injections show that this can be done 
without danger and this method therefore 
can be applied in those cerebral accidents 
which require immediate intervention. 
There remains a subject which has cau- 
sed much controversy, viz, whether we 
should give mercury regularly during succes- 
sive vears according to the rule laid down by 
Fournier, or whether we should administer 
it only as symptoms arise, which theory 
appears to be prescribed by Professor 
Gaucher. 
To this, let us say only that CYPRIDOL 11 
has been used successfully in the following 
manner : 
Intensive treatment from the time ot 
the first symptoms, with an interval ot 
one week for each month of the first three 
months; an interval of rest of a fortnight 
each month of the following three months; 
of eight days intensive treatment during each 
month of the three following years,excluding 
the first three months intensive medication. 
These rules were modified according to 
the form which the affection followed. 
The energy of the specific treatment is 
increased by adding the administration of the 
alkaline iodides of potash, soda, or strontium 
or simply giving tincture of iodine by the 
stomach, during the periods of repose. 
The vitality should atsuchtimesbe maintai- 
ned with the phosphoglycerate of lime (Chapo- 
teaut) and qprnol (plasma of muscular tissue). 12 
Although salivation is rare in patients 
treated with CYPRIDOL, it is advisable to 
make use as often as possible of a powder 
composed of boracic acid and chlorate of 
potash with some aromatic base, as a denti- 
Irice, nasal douche, gargle or lotion for 
general use. 
The hygiene of the mucous membranes 
should be radical with svphilitics. 
Administration of 
CYPRIDOL 
in syphilitic manifestations and 
microbian affections. 
The specific oil of mercuric iodide has been 
used successfully in all the primary, secondary, 
and tertiary accidents of syphilis, but it is 
particularly indicated in those doubtful cases 
where the diagnosis of the disease is so diffi- 
cult, that it becomes a sure guide to the treat- 
men twhich we should subsequently follow. 13 
With CYPRIDOL, we can discover and 
treat the syphilis of the newly born (Hutinel, 
clinical lessons), the specific tertiary enteritis 
described by Lereboullet and Fournier, the 
secondary and tertiary hepatitis, the obscure 
affections of the eye, keratitis, chorioretinitis, 
iritis, (Hirschberg, Abadie, Thesis of Vibert, 
1892 ; of Paul Turpault, 1899, °f Dieupart, 
1900). 
Certain uterine discharges of specific ori- 
gin or aggravated by syphilis, may come 
under the same tentative treatment. 
The specific bin-iodide oil unites the 
bactericide mercurial action and the attenua- 
ting effects of iodine against toxines, which 
is increased by the fortunate combination of 
the two powerful agents. 
This explains the success obtained by 
those practitioners who have not hesitated 
to make use of CYPRIDOL in diseases 14 
ot infectious, if not of syphilitic origin. 
Numerous tests have shown that CYPRI- 
DOL retards the evolution of experimental 
bacterial affections in animals subjected 
to inoculation in the laboratory. 
CYPRIDOL constitutes an excellent spe- 
cific for bacteriological affections or parisites 
of the alimentary canal, the skin and the scalp. 
It is indicated in the treatment of serous 
affections (injections modify the nature ot 
hydrocele), fistulas, cold abcesses, white tu- 
mours (in hip, knee, ankle), lupus, opina ven- 
tosa and other manifestations of tuberculosis. 
Other experiments have been made in the 
treatment of neoplasms, anthrax, furoncu- 
losis,ozenitis,leucenitis, paludal intoxication, 
yellow fever and the great majority of epi- 
demic diseases. 
In gonorrhoea, CYPRIDOL should be 
diluted with 5 to 6 times the quantity of olive 15 
oil and used in conjunction with irrigations 
of the canal. Oculists find an advantage in the 
specific bin-iodized oil, to brush the epiderm 
and lids of the eyes either pure or diluted 
with 5 to io parts of olive oil, according to 
the effects desired from the topical application 
of the medicament. 
In these connections it is interestingtocon- 
sult the works of Ehlers, of Copengague, on 
th emercurial treatment of Leprosy; of Stoney, on 
the Malignant Pustula (British med. Journal, 
1895, page 976); of Kermarsky, on the 
Puerperal Pyohemia (Ncuveaux Remedes, 1894, 
page 429); of Bacelli, on the Echinocci and on 
Malaria; of Slingworth, on Gout (British 
med. Journal, 1885); of Panas, on Ocular 
Antisepsis; of Bolschesolsky, on Surgical and 
Obstetrical Antisepsis (British med. Journal, 
1894), etc. 16 
POSOUOGY 
The dose of Capsules of Cypridol (each 
of which represents 2 milligrammes or 1 /3 2nd 
of a grain of mercuric iodide), varies of neces- 
sity, with the nature of the case. 
They should be taken with meals, com- 
mencing with 2 capsules daily, and not be 
increased to more than 5 capsules daily. 
The hypodermic administration of Cypridol 
(which represents a 1 0/0 solution of mer- 
curic iodide in an antiseptic oil) is recom- 
mended in intra-muscular injections of from 
1/2 to 1 cubic centimeter or 8 to 16 minims 
daily. 
Ph. Chapelle, 
M. D., Paris. r hbi2 Hb'2 
A STANDARD 
—J ASEPTIC OIL 
\% SOLUTION OF NASCENT MERCURIC IODIDE 
A Reliable Anti -tf enerealJ^gEqt 
VIAL, 8 Rue Vivienne, PARIS. 
U. S. AGENTS : 
E. FOUGERA & CO., 
26, 28, 30 N. William St., 
New York, 
And of all DISPENSING CHEMISTS.