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Acute Pancreatitis-Skyring et al. BRITISH 629classified according to their response to the initial dose of the " drug," their general clinical improvement, the duration of intravenous therapy and intragastric suction, and the frequency of complications. Overall results of the trial show that the Trasvlol-treated patients did no better than the controls, and indeed may have fared worse. Although more Trasylol-treated patients had severe pancreatitis there was no difference in outcome at any grade of severity. The poor results with Trasylol could not be attributed to delay in starting therapy or to the age of the patient.We are indebted to Farbenfabriken Bayer A.G., Leverkusen, Germany, who made a gift of Trasylol and the placebo. We would like to acknowledge with gratitude the help of the honorary surgeons of the Royal Prince Albert Hospital who made their patients available for inclusion in the trial. Finally, the study would not have been possible without the co-operation of the nursing and resident staff of the hospital, whose assistance is gratefully acknowledged. In 1955 he developed auricular fibrillation, and had been treated for congestive cardiac failure with digoxin for the seven years prior to his death. He gave up his work as a blacksmith at the age of 61 and worked as a storeman for three years until his retirement in April 1964.He had become depressed as a result of his increasing incapacity, and in 1955 attempted to take his life by an overdose of sleepingtablets. He was treated successfully and later transferred to a mental hospital for further treatment of his depression. Since his retirement he had remained depressed and his activities had become increasingly curtailed by breathlessness. His hobby was gardening, of which he was very fond, and his family said that " he didn't seem to be able to do his gardening as he used to," and this had aggravated his depression.He was found unconscious at 12 noon on 24 July, slumped in the toilet, by his son-in-law, who had come to look for him as he had not appeared for lunch. There was an empty 2-fl. oz. (57-ml.) bottle of Verdone weed-killer on the shelf in the toilet, and later an empty codeine-tablet bottle was found in his bedroom. He was transferred to hospital at 2 p.m. the same day.On admission he was deeply unconscious and unresponsive to all stimuli. He had pinpoint pupils which did not react to light. He was sweating, and had a pulse rate of 64 and a blood-pressure of 80/60. Apart from extrasystoles his heart sounds were normal. There were multiple rhonchi throughout the chest with crepitations at the bases. Examination of the central nervous system showed almost absent reflexes with no asymmetry and extensor plantar responses. All the limbs were flaccid. He was incontinent of urine and faeces. A lumbar puncture was not performed.His stomach was washed out and he was given Methedrine (methylamphetamine hydrochloride) 30 mg., hydrocortisone 200 mg., and Lethidrone (nalorphine hydrobromide) 10 mg., the latter being repeated at 5 p.m. By 8.30 p.m...

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