Enthusiastic Declarations by Physicians Who Have Used Cardiotonic Drugs in Angina Pectoris and in Acute Myocardial Infarction, Contradicting the Thrombogenic Theory

“I wish it was as easy to write upon the Digitalis – I despair of pleasing myself or instructing others in a subject so difficult. It is much easier to write upon a disease than upon a remedy. The former is in the hands of nature and a faithful observer with an eye to tolerable judgment can not fail to delineate a likeness; the latter will ever be subject to the whims, the inaccuracies and the blunders of mankind". William Withering, Letter, Sep 29, 1778

         In our recent announcement regarding a breakthrough in myocardial infarction prevention and clinical treatment by cardiotonics, based in a new and compatible pathophysiological explanation for its origin, we mentioned that the efficiency of this kind of treatment was proved in thousands patients by many doctors in the past. See bellow some of the enthusiastic declarations by these doctors about the use of digitalis and strophanthin to treat angina pectoris and myocardial infarction:

 1. William Withering (Willius, F.A. and Keyes, T.E.: Cardiac Classics. The C.V. Mosby Company, 1941; St. Louis, USA) - Made a trial with digitalis indicating beneficial effects for the coronary heart disease. In his article ‘An account of the Foxglove’ from 1785, he refers 2 cases which were considered and treated  as angina pectoris. About the second, that was a lady, he quotes: “I directed her to take small doses of the pulv. Digitalis, which in eight days removed all her complaints. This happened six months ago, and she remains perfectly well”.   

2. James Herrick (JAMA,59: 2015, 1912 - Text) - Proclaimed the myocardial infarction (MI) as consequence of coronary thrombosis and cardiotonics (digitalis, strophantus, etc.) as the best therapy. He declared: "The timely use of this remedy may occasionally save live".

3.  Louis Hamman (Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp.; 38: 273, 1926) - Shared in same concepts and enthusiasm of Herrick regarding the use of cardiotonics to treat the MI. He said: "The patient should be promptly and fully digitalized... not only is the digitalized heart better prepared to withstand the added burden of certain arrhythmias should they come on, but it is also stimulated to put forth its better efforts. How desirable the best efforts may be when a large area of heart muscle is infarcted, needs no further comment"

4. Ernst Edens (Munchener Medizinischen Wochenschrift; 37, 1934) - After 3 years using strophantus by intravenous way in angina pectoris and MI in more than 100 patients he declared: " Subsequently to the recognition of the strophantus as the best and safest medicine for the myocardial infarction we don't have the right to use it in a patient only for scientific reasons and tests, giving preference to other remedies loosing precious time for the cure". He also expressed his confirmation telling that will come the moment in which the omission of the use of strophantus will be seen as a professional malpractice.

5. Ferdinand R. Schemm (Postgrad Med.; 385, 1950) - Preconized the use free from restraint regarding the digitalis for MI treatment. He used digitalis in 265 patients recording a mortality of 10%. In practice he noticed that instead of any myocardial damages, the cardiotonic presented compatibility with the acute myocardial infarction, reason of salutary effects and lower mortality.

6. John Martin Askey (JAMA; 146: 1008, 1951) - Applied digitalis in 50 consecutive patients with acute MI. Citing the results achieved by Schemm with digitalis refers that the medical profession was unable to take advantage of this valuable drug offering the Henry Thoreau thought: "It is never too late to give up our prejudices. No way of thinking however ancient, can be trusted without proof". This affirmation from Askey was stated during the presentation about his results and to appreciate the clinical and experimental proceedings realized at that time. Likewise he demonstrated a healthy apprehension in front of the accommodation and disinterest regarding so exciting theme.

7. Norman H. Boyer (New England J. Med; 252: 536, 1955) - Mentioned that after an unexpected but fortunate experience using digitalis by intravenously way ceased his fear about the use of digitalis applying it starting from this moment in a sequence of 50 patients with MI.

8. Quintiliano H. de Mesquita (1972) - Developed a new pathophysiological explanation for the origin of myocardial infarction what he called "Myogenic Theory", where the cardiotonic is the compatible remedy. He tells that treatment with cardiotonics should be started the earliest possible in order to correct the regional myocardial collapse in progress. He also states that cardiotonic administration protects the myocardial fibers in collapse, ischemic, but viable to be kept from the necrosis which will certainly occur in case of non-use of this remedy. Surpassing the acute period, the cardiotonic should be used, according him, as a maintenance treatment, which blends with the MI prophylaxis, in order to defend the ischemic myocardium in its functional side. During 7 years applied cardiotonics by intravenously way (digitalis, strophanthin) in 1183 patients with acute MI, recording a survival of almost 90%. Professor Mesquita was awarded in 1975 with the Ernst Edens Traditionspreis by the International Society Against Myocardial Infarct situated in Stuttgart- Germany.

9. Peter Schmidsberger (1980): "In This Manner a Brazilian Fights Against The Infarction "- BUNTE magazine, Offenburg - Germany : Report the results obtained by Professor Mesquita in Brazil informing that Doctor Rolf Dorhman from the Berliner Waldkrankenhauses in Berlin - Germany, achieved during 5 years similar results of the Brazilian professor applying the same treatment for acute myocardial infarction.

10. Qiao DR (1993): Told that from the hemodynamic studies the beneficial effect of cedilanid is greater than its adverse effect, concluding that digitalis can be safely and effectively used in the treatment of AMI.

Other Eulogies to Digitalis for the coronary heart disease treatment:

 “A God-given remedy” by Friedrich Ludwig Kreysig – Berlin, 1814*

 “The opium of the heart” by Jean Baptiste Bouillaud – Paris, 1841*

*History of the heart and the circulation, Willius F A and Dry, T J; W B Saunders Company, 1948  

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