Treatment of gastric ulceration with carbenoxolone sodium: clinical and radiological evaluation.
Gastric ulcers have a natural tendency towards healing, and a controlled therapeutic trial is the only reliable method for assessing the value of any method of treatment. This paper reports our experience with carbenoxolone, and confirms the studies of Doll et al. (1962). Carefully controlled trials have shown the following treatments to be ineffective: cabbage juice (Doll and Pygott, 1954); Robaden, an extract of gastro-intestinal tissue (Doll and Pygott, 1954) ; an extract of brain (Brochner-Mortensen et al., 1955) ; alkalis and continuous milk (Doll et al., 1956). Doll and Pygott (1952) compared the effect of bed rest of in-patients with ambulant treatment of out-patients, and found that 56% of ulcers treated by bed rest healed by two-thirds or more. Doll et al. (1958) showed that stopping smoking helped to heal gastric ulcers. In the trial of carbenoxolone reported by Doll et al. (1962), of 30 patients receiving the drug 70% healed by two-thirds