Use of Tranquilizers for Mentally Deficient Patients

In a recent article by Tarjan et al.¹ the use of chlorpromazine in mentally deficient patients was reviewed, possible complications from its use were well outlined, and the need for a double-blind research study to measure its objective effectiveness was indicated.

Timberlake et al.² reported a double-blind study on the effects of reserpine on 200 mentally retarded children. These authors felt that the two-month period of treatment with the drug followed by two-months' use of a placebo was "too brief to determine how well improvement will be sustained."² They did not attempt to compare the effectiveness of chlorpromazine with that of reserpine. The comparative drug study by Sprogis et al.³ did not utilize the doubleblind technique but did suggest that, while reserpine appeared more effective initially, chlorpromazine appeared to have a more-lasting effect after the drugs had been withdrawn. They suggested the use of a combination