Psychosomatic Medicine 2:231-248 (1940)
© 1940 American Psychosomatic Society

The Subjective Response of Psychoneurotic Patients to Adrenalin and Mecholyl (Acetyl-B-Methyl-Choline)

¹ Department of Diseases of the Nervous System, Harvard Medical School, and the Psychiatric Department, Massachusetts General Hospital

Intramuscular injections of adrenalin, mecholyl (acetyl-B-methyl-choline) and saline solution were given to a series of forty psychoneurotic patients on three different test days. The statements in response to specific questions were grouped in terms of reference to:

Descriptions referring to general somatic sensations.

Descriptions referring to specific parts of the body.

Descriptions referring to the emotional state of the patient (mood).

The most striking symptoms reported after adrenalin were heart pounding (70 per cent of the cases), trembling (55 per cent), nervousness (38 per cent), shaking of legs (70 per cent).

After mecholyl the most frequent symptoms reported were a sense of general heat (58 per cent), complaints about feelings of discomfort (57 per cent), difficult breathing (45 per cent), fullness and warmth in the head (35 per cent), perspiration (30 per cent), and dizziness (28 per cent).

After saline there were certain vague references such as weakness (18 per cent), feelings of relaxation (15 percent), and sleepiness (13 per cent).

After mecholyl, 24 patients (60 per cent) referred to feeling happy, silly, not depressed, while only 2 patients referred to feelings of depression and worry. After adrenalin 12 patients (30 per cent) made references to worry, depression and anger, while no references were made to a happy mood. After saline only one patient referred to feelings of depression.

Note:

This is the second in a series of studies on the Effect of Adrenalin and Mecholyl on Psychoneurotic Patients.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. J. Veltman, G. van Zijderveld, F. J H. Tilders, and R. van Dyck Epinephrine and fear of bodily sensations in panic disorder and social phobia J Psychopharmacol, January 1, 1996; 10(4): 259 - 265. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. J. Schildkraut and S. S. Kety Biogenic Amines and Emotion Science, April 7, 1967; 156(3771): 21 - 30. [Abstract] [PDF]