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Kenneth B. Brilhart, MD
Bloomfield, NJ

JAMA. 1971;217(8):1107.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Your attention is called to an error in McMahon's communication on "Drug Combinations" (216:1008,1971). "Afrin"for relief of congestion of the nasopharyngeal mucous membranes in a variety of disorders of the upper respiratory tract was included as a "combination" in McMahon's survey. We insist this is a single chemical entity product.

A letter from the author says that it was included because the benzalkonium chloride has germicidal and antiseptic activity, and the phenylmercuric acetate, too, may have human activity.

The point is not whether benzalkonium chloride has germicidal and antiseptic activity nor that phenylmercuric acetate has some human activity, etc, but rather what do these additives do for relief of congestion of the nasopharyngeal mucous membranes.

The Food and Drug Administration as well as the AMA Drug Evaluation Book regards "Afrin" as a single chemical entity product. If one were to accept McMahon's hypothesis there would be . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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