Physiologie und Pharmakologie des Expektorationsvorganges

Immunological Studies on Bronchial Secretion

“…Tbe differences in the number of precipitation arcs (2 or more) observed in the sera from some patients, when the double gel-diffusion was performed with intervals of i or 2 years, could be another argument favouring the hypothesis of the presence, in special circumstances, of bronchial secretion antigens in the sera. These findings could be explained by the reabsorption of the sputum admitted by the physiological concept of the expectoration, according to which a certain part of bronchial secretion is absorbed (3,5,9,15). Comprehensive and elucidating studies on this problem were also related by Kohler (10), Yeaguer (18) and Asmundsson & Kilburn (i).…”

The Cough Syrup

“…In recent years Gordonoff (1935) has shown, using modern techniques, that the sucking of candy has a pharmacological effect upon the respiratory tract, which he interpreted as meaning an increased output of bronchial or respiratory-tract fluid. In a later extensive review of the physiology and pharmacology of expectorants Gordonoff (1938) has made the statement, without references, that sugars were ancient folk-remedies for colds.…”

“…In recent years Gordonoff (1935) has shown, using modern techniques, that the sucking of candy has a pharmacological effect upon the respiratory tract, which he interpreted as meaning an increased output of bronchial or respiratory-tract fluid. In a later extensive review of the physiology and pharmacology of expectorants Gordonoff (1938) has made the statement, without references, that sugars were ancient folk-remedies for colds. Should this be true-and it would appear to be correct from what evidence is available, or rather lack of evidence to the contrary-it is readily apparent how cough syrups were introduced into medical practice, because the early pharmacopoeias were, to a large extent, compilations of folk-remedies of earlier days.…”

“…The retention of the cough syrup in subsequent editions of the pharmacopoeias and in the practice of medicine is readily understood when one looks over the list of drugs of disagreeable taste-described in textbooks cf materia medica and therapeutics of the last 200 years and even to-day-e.g., Beckman (1945). Gordonoff (1935Gordonoff ( , 1938 claims to have proved that syrups do act as expectorants by augmenting the output of bronchial or respiratory-tract fluid. He noted that the duration of action is short, and hence advised giving syrups at intervals of about two hours.…”