BARBITURATE DEPENDENCE

Elsewhere in this issue of The Journal (pages 126 to 129) is a paper by Fraser and co-workers on the physical dependence that may arise after the use of a barbiturate. The barbiturates have been available for many years, and yet there still is confusion concerning their usefulness and their harmfulness. There should be no doubts by now about how useful these drugs are when properly administered. Nor should there be undue alarm about harmful possibilities. They can, of course, cause disturbances in some people, but a problem usually arises because of misuse, misunderstanding, or sensational headlines. Until recently there probably was no class of remedies that could be subjected to more misuse and abuse by some groups of people. Unfortunately these actions threw shadows over a truly helpful class of drugs. Fraser and coworkers have suggested a maximum dosage for a commonly used barbiturate beyond which physical dependence may