Evening star., 1939-01-01
Every Ounce
Of Mixture
Is Traced
Mountain Side and
Deserted Home
Delayed Hunt
By Re1 Collier.


same in all cases-agonizing alb
dominal pains, kidney paralysis,
convulsions-then death.
Suspicion gradually was directed
toward certain bottles labeled Elixir
Sulfanilamide" and containing a
new. fragrant, sirupy solution of the
tested, efflcacious drug, sulfanila-
= mide. This drug, widely approved
for its remarkably curative proper
ties in some types of streptococcus
infections, ordinarily was marketed
in powder or tablet form.
A telephone call from a New York
physician brought to the Food and
Drug Administration of the Depart
ment of Agriculture first word of
deaths attributed to the new medi-
cal preparation. The physician had
no personal knowledge of the facts,
but he relayed to Federal officials
reports he had heard of fatalities in
Tulsa, Okla.
That telephone call set in motion
an investigation which soon was to
send practically the entire field
force OF the administrations in
spectors and chemists into grim,
dramatic race against time and
death.
1t was race to retrieve or account
for every drop of 24o gallons of an
insidious "elixir of death" concocted
from healing drug and a poisonous
commercial solvent known as
diethylene glycol.
Before the strange race was over
at least 73 persons had died horrible
deaths as direct result of taking
the mixture and a score of other
deaths had occurred-"probably"
due to the potion.
The full story of the death elixir"
has never been told. Many of the
details could not be revealed pend
ing the outcome of criminal pro-
ceedings brought by the Govern
II ment against the manufacturer of
the solution, DR.. Samuel Evans Mas
sengill, head of drug firm in Bris-
tol, Va.-Tenn.
DR.. Massengill has pleaded guilty
to numerous counts of two Federal
criminal informations charging vio-
lation OF the Food and Drug Act
and he was sentenced recently to
fines totaling $26100.
The story goes back to June, 1887,
when several of DR.. Massengill's
salesmen reported a demand for
sulfanilamide in solution. The firm,
like many other pharmaceutical
manufacturers, was dispensing the
drug in tablet form at that time.
The comparatively new medicine was
being acclaimed everywhere for its
markedly beneficial effect on pa
tients suffering from septic sore
throat, venereal disease and various
other infections.
DR.. Massengill and his laboratory
staff tackled the problem of prepar-
ing a solution of the drug for the
market. 1t proved to be quite a
problem, as sulfanilamide is in
soluble in water, alcohol and other
liquids commonly used for medical
solutions.
After considerable experimental
ton, it was found that sulfanilamide
would dissolve in diethylene glycol,
a glycerine-lik chemical with many
commercial uses.
In fact, the Journal of Phar-
macology and Experimental Thera-
. peutics has contained a number of
I articles warning of the toxic prop
critics of diethylene glycol-of the
fatal effects of the compound on
rats and other animals.
DR.. Massengill apparently had
never read of these dangers that
lurked in the thickish, colorless,
odorless liquid with which his lab
oratory proceeded to experiment.
He did not take the trouble to try
out on dogs or other animals the
solution which he was planning to
place on the market by hundreds
of gallons, for human consumption.
Had he done so, the first expert
mental batch of the stuff undoubt-
edly would have gone down the
sewer and the remainder of the
solvent would have gone back to
the commercial market, where it
belonged.
DR.. Massengill later admitted that
the solution was tested in his lab
oratory only for taste, color and
odor.
Medicines, to be popular, should
have a pleasant taste, appearance
and aroma. So dash of rasp-
berry extract was added, and a small
quantity of saccharin for sWeeten-
ing, and then some caramel and
finally some elixir favoring-until
the potentially deadly concoction
tasted fairly delectable. Amaranth
was added to give the liquid an ap-
pealing reddish color.
An initial batch of 40 gallons OF
- the finished product was made in
4 DR.. Massengill's laboratory at Bris-
tol, and the formula was sent tc
his other laboratory in Kansas City
Mo-, with instructions to prepare
40 gallons more for Western distri-
button.
Special labels were printed ano
in the wording of them DR.. Massen-
gill made a slip which later was te
prove his undoing under Fedora
laws. He labeled the solution
Elixir sulfanilamide," with the
statement that it contained Al
grains of sulfanilamide per fiuic
ounce ana that it was suggested
for the treatment of all condition!
In which the hemolytic streptococc
appear" The dosage, he stated
should start with two or three tea
spoonfuls In water every four hours
decreasing in a day or so to one OF
two teaspoonfuls until recovery. >
There was no mention of thu
presence of diethylene glycol, NJ
warning of danger of any kind.
Commercial distribution of the
product in gallon bottles was bepur
on September 4, 1887, bv a fielc
force of about 200 statesmen Ir
order to popularize the medicine
and thus promote sales, the firm
bottled several hundred one anr
two ounce samples for physicians
One of the first cities to roo.;.,