A bibliometric study on the composition of Sugai’s Liquid and Koga’s Liquid Cyanocuprol

– Rebuttal to “On Takekichi Sugai’s ‘Brief report of chemotherapy for Leprosy and Tuberculosis‘ (Chugai Medical Journal, No. 826, February 24, 1916).” by Drs Hiroshi Ishida and Yoshinori Aoki, at the 96th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Leprosy Society –

Abstract

  Between 1914 and 1919, clinical trials of copper cyanide agents against tuberculosis and leprosy were conducted extensively in Japan. However, significant therapeutic effects were not confirmed at the conclusion of the clinical trials. At the 96th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Leprosy Society 2023, Drs Hiroshi Ishida and Yoshinori Aoki have made a presentation claiming that the administration of “highly poisonous potassium cyanide solution” was a “violation of human rights” regarding the clinical trials by Dr Takekichi Sugai in 1914. The author searched the open records and literature of these days, and expressed the concern that their claim was done without any evidence in the discussion session following the presentation. However, there was no reasonable answers from them. This study aims to prove that those copper cyanide agents were not an aqueous potassium cyanide (salt) solution, as claimed by the two Drs, but that Sugai’s solution was an aqueous solution consisting mainly of copper cyanide and potassium or sodium, which was carefully manufactured by Dr Sugai as well as by Dr Koga, not to contain toxic free cyanide ion.