We meet with the medicine "Purgen" at school, although most chemistry teachers are silent about this. The official name for this substance is phenolphthalein.
In chemistry, it is used as an indicator, which is colorless in alkalis, and in acids it changes its color from pale pink to crimson. The older generation used this substance to bluish linen and to get rid of constipation. They called this substance like this: "Purgen". A laxative of any kind is now often referred to by that word.
Why is the cure a thing of the past?
The drug was included in many jokes for a reason. It was called the best cough remedy, because the effect of the Purgen medicine (laxative and not only) came on very quickly and sometimes suddenly. The drug does not dissolve in the stomach: only in the intestine under the action of acids. 85% of it moves through the intestines with food, 15% enters the bloodstream. Not all of the drug is excreted in the urine: some of it goes back to the liver. This is what causes the sharp uncontrolled action of the drug, which lasts 3-4 days. This was one of the reasons why doctors began to refuse the Purgen medication: the laxative effect lasted too long,sometimes leading to dehydration.
Taking the drug caused many side effects for many: vomiting, nausea, severe dizziness. Cases of colic, irregular heart rhythms, even collapse have been reported.
The finishing touch
However, the inconvenience of use and the mass of side effects did not become the reason for the complete abandonment of the Purgen composition. A laxative, the price of which fit into a few kopecks, for many years was popular not only among the people, but also among professional doctors. Until 1999, American researchers found that the use of phenolphthalein leads to cancer. Purgen is a laxative (the instruction explains this) based on phenolphthalein. It bears 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, the patient risks getting complications such as nervous diseases, liver cancer, kidney cancer, epilepsy, tachycardia, etc. That is why in 2002, almost all countries withdrew the Purgen drug from sale. A laxative is now recommended not based on phenolphthalein, but based on plant extracts: senna herbs, walnut oils, etc.
What else is phenolphthalein for?
The medicine "Purgen" is a laxative. In chemistry, a substance is used to recognize an acidic or alkaline environment. In the 50s and 60s of the twentieth century, housewives dissolved the tablet in water, and then rinsed their clothes in it. It was believed thatso white can be given a nice shade. With a very low quality of bleaching and bluing agents, this was relevant. In pioneer camps, pills were used for very cruel 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 basis, but on a plant basis.
