Megaloblastic Anæmia Due to Phenytoin Sodium

Megaloblastic Anaemia Occurring During Primidone Therapy

“…In three instances gastric mucosa was examined following biopsy and was found to be normal. Four patients showed haematological improvement while under treatment with cyanocobalamin, but in two (Webster, 1954;Ryan and Forshaw, 1955) it is possible that the improvement was due rather to the cessation of anticonvulsant therapy. In one of the cases (Chalmers and Boheimer, 1954) the authors themselves considered that the patient had coincidental pernicious anaemia, while in the fourth patient (Badenoch, 1954) there is insufficient information for a possible explanation to be given.…”

“…antd tile Royal Infirmnary of Edinbutrgh In 1954 Badenoch described the cases of two epileptic patients who developed megaloblastic anaemia while tinder treatment with phenytoin sodium, and subsequently 10 further such cases were recorded (Hawkins and Meynell, 1954;Chalmers and Boheimer, 1954;Rhind and Varadi, 1954;Webster, 1954;Berlyne et al, 1955;Ryan and Forshaw, 1955). All the patients had received phenytoin sodium; in all but one instance, where no mention is made of the fact, phenobarbitone had been given in addition, and sometimes other anticonvulsant drugs had supplemented therapy.…”

Kurt Schwitters's Merzbau: Chaos, Compulsion and Creativity

“…By 1934 he was sleeping in the Merzbau, having deserted his own bedroom. 61 His contacts in the art world were either fleeing the country, lying low or being arrested, and when a Gestapo spy infiltrated the Hanover socialist resistance movement in 1936 over 300 people, including close friends of Schwitters, ended up facing trial. 62 Hitler's infamous Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition toured Germany in 1937 and Schwitters was amongst the hundred and twelve artists whose works were labelled as 'the products of insanity, of impudence, of ineptitude, and of decadence'.…”