PROPHYLACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC CONTROL OF VESTIBULAR DISTURBANCES WITH DIMENHYDRINATE

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Abstract
In February 1949, a preliminary report on the prevention and treatment of motion sickness with dimenhydrinate (dramamine®) was presented to the Johns Hopkins Medical Society. The study was planned and executed by Gay and Carliner1 on the United States Army Transport General Ballou. This transport, which carried 1,366 soldiers to Bremerhaven, Germany, sailed from New York on Nov. 27, 1948 and arrived at its destination Dec. 8, 1948. Weather conditions were moderately rough for the first five days, with a roll of 4 to 15 degrees, and violently rough for the remaining five days, with a heavy roll of the vessel from 22 to as high as 35 degrees. The data accumulated on the voyage proved that dimenhydrinate in doses of 50 to 100 mg. every six hours is a nontoxic, prophylactic and therapeutic drug capable of controlling the symptoms of seasickness. The drug was administered to seasick soldiers,