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Dr. JACOB. DMSO is CH,, S double bond on CH,, carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen, sulfur. A molecular weight of 78. A very simple chemical
compound. It is in some ways water's alter ego.
One of the reasons it does what it does is that it combines with
water. If one looks in the Random House dictionary, the two liq-
uids on this planet given the most attention are water and DMSO.
Ms. OAKAR. We have heard so much about the smell of it. Yet,
when we had a bottle up here it didn't have an odor to it.
Dr. JACOB. It is not so much the odor in the bottle. It is the way
the body metabolizes DMSO, and the body forms dimethyl sulfide,
which produces the odor.
Ms. OAKAR. Mr. Chairman, if I could ask unanimous consent
request here. I think it would be very, very helpful to be able to
ask the doctors a few questions perhaps after the testimony by the
Food and Drug Administration.
The CHAIRMAN. That is the reason I asked if they could remain.
Ms. OAKAR. OK, thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. We want to thank all of you who came here in
the warmest way. Dr. Paul, we especially appreciate your coming
all the way from Canada to be with us. Your testimony today has
been extremely valuable and we are very grateful to you.
Now, then, our next witnesses will be from the Food and Drug
Administration. The first witness is Dr. J. Richard Crout. He is
Director of the Bureau of Drugs with the Food and Drug Adminis-
tration.
He served on the faculty of the University of Texas, Southwest-
ern Medical School, and was professor of pharmacology and medi-
cine at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
He has been with the FDA since 1971. Dr. Crout is a member of
many professional organizations and a former holder of the Bur-
roughs Wellcome Fund Award in clinical pharmacology. He is the
author of some 50 research papers in the field of hypertension,
neuropharmacology, and clinical pharmacology. His current profes-
sional interests are in drug regulatory systems and policy, and in
public administration.
Doctor, we will be glad if you and your associates will come up to
the witness table, please. Dr. Crout is accompanied by Dr. William
Gyarfas and Dr. Marion Finkel.
Dr. Gyarfas is Director of the Division of Oncology and Radio-
pharmaceutical Drug Products with the Food and Drug Adminis-
tration. He has been employed by the FDA since 1963, where he
has served as Director of the Division of Surgery and Dental Drugs
and Acting Director of the Office of New Drugs. He has been at his
present position since 1974.
Dr. Finkel is Associate Director for New Drug Evaluations with
the Food and Drug Administration. She has been with the FDA
since 1963 where she has served as Director of the Division of
Metabolic and Endocrine Drugs, Director of the Office of Scientific
Evaluation, and has been Associate Director for the New Drug
Evaluations since 1974.
Dr. Crout, we welcome your statement. If you would like to
begin.
