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The fate of 14C-3-methylamino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole hydrochloride, a potential psychotherapeutic agent, was studied in rats and dogs. Rats were given a single oral or intraperitoneal dose while dogs received the drug either orally or intravenously. Radioactivity in plasma samples and excreta was determined by liquid scintillation counting. In addition, 14C-levels in various rat tissues were estimated. The drug appeared to be well absorbed in both species. 14C-levels were highest in liver and lung and lowest in plasma. Excretion was primarily urinary and was more complete within the first 96 hr in the rat than in the dog, which suggested a longer 14C-half-life in the dog. No evidence was seen that the drug was demethylated.

An improvement in a previously described method for the determination of plasma salicylic acid and aspirin levels in humans is described. The procedure was simplified by employing only one plasma sample for both salicylates. More accurate estimation of salicylates, particularly aspirin, was achieved by using two different calibration curves. Salicylic acid was estimated by reaction with an aqueous solution of the Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent. Absorbance of the blue-colored complex, which formed on addition of sodium hydroxide, was measured at 670 nm. The influence of alkalinity in the formation of the colored complex is discussed. The average recovery of aspirin added to plasma was 94.61%; it was 214.72% by the previous method.