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l. About a month ago, asked me if wo could give him any information on nicotinic acid. We have mode a number of discreet inquiries and have turned up information as noted herein. This information comes from one of the most prominent pharmacologists in the United Statos. We are making further inquiries of sources recommended ly the inlividual who provided this information. One source in particular is reported to bo doing research in nicotinic acid and we may obtain evon more useful information.

2. The information provided is as follows:

The comon use of nicotinio acid is es a vitaminj it is used principally as a preventative for pellagra (a skin affection with severe constitutional and nervous symptons) in the southern part of the. US. Its therapeutic action in theso casos is in daveloping a psychosis and dilating the blood vessels.

Since nicotinic acid is a porinhcral dilator of blood vessols, it might also bo uscd in the treatment of frost bite but there is no published' indication that this type of therapy has ever been developed anywhere.

His staff has done much work on using a combination of nicotinomid with privino for the treatment of gchizophrenic patients. Privine is a nicotinic acid inhibitor (B h5) and, although very lethal in animals, is not poisonous for muman beings. The nicotinomid-privine combination produces a shock recction vhich docs not involve convulsions. Experiments in this have bcen made on pationts at a State Hospital noarby but are no longer being carried on because of the lack of funda and the difficulty in travel between the mcdical college laboratories cni'the hospital.

The source did not know of other doctors or laboratories in tho US or abroad who wero working with this nicotinomidprivinc combination or other nicotinic acid compounds. He could not recall having seen ary publications on this subject.

A/0.,I, 27,3

15 Jamary 1952

SUDJECT 1 Use of a Chemical Compound