Medication "Purgen": laxative or poison?

With the medicine "Purgen" we meet in school, although most teachers of chemistry do not say anything about it. The official name of this substance is phenolphthalein.

In chemistry, it is used as an indicator, which inalkalis colorless, and in acids it changes its color from gently pink to crimson. The older generation used this substance to shine underwear and to get rid of constipation. They called it "Purgen." A laxative of any kind is now often called just such a word.

Why is the remedy left in the past?

The drug has entered into many anecdotes for good reason.He was called the best remedy for coughing, because the action of the medicine "Purgen" (laxative and not only) came very quickly and sometimes suddenly. The drug does not dissolve in the stomach: only in the intestines under the influence of acids. 85% of it moves through the intestines with food, 15% goes to the blood. Not all of the drug is excreted in the urine: part of it is again delivered to the liver. This is what determines the sharp uncontrolled action of the medicine, lasting 3-4 days. This was one of the reasons why doctors began to refuse the medication "Purgen": the laxative action lasted too long, sometimes leading to dehydration.

The administration of the drug in many caused many side effects: vomiting, nausea, severe dizziness. Cases of colic, heart rhythm disturbances, even collapse were reported.

Finishing touch

However, the inconvenience of using and the mass of side-effectseffects did not cause the complete abandonment of the composition of "Purgen". Laxative, the price of which was within a few cents, for many years it was popular not only among the people, but also among professional medics. While in 1999, American researchers have not found that the use of phenolphthalein leads to cancer. Purgen is a laxative (the instruction explains this) on the basis of phenolphthalein. He wears 14 more trade names in the medical world. The chemical adversely affects the liver, even with a single dose.

With frequent use of the medicine patientrisks to get such complications as nerve diseases, liver cancer, kidney cancer, epilepsy, tachycardia, etc. That is why in 2002 almost all countries withdrew the drug "Purgen" from the sale. Laxative is now recommended not on the basis of phenolphthalein, but on the basis of plant extracts: senna herbs, walnut oils, etc.

Why else need phenolphthalein?

The medicine "Purgen" is a laxative.In chemistry, the substance is used to recognize an acidic or alkaline medium. In the 50's and 60's of the twentieth century, the housewives dissolved the pill in water, and then rinsed the linen in it. It was believed that so white can give a pleasant shade. With a very low quality of whitening and bluing agents, this was actual. Pioneer camps used tablets for very evil jokes. Today, most countries in the world have banned not only the production of this drug, but also the addition of phenolphthalein to any formulations intended for oral administration. As a laxative, medicines are recommended not on a chemical but on a plant basis.