Deodorizing experiments with ion exchange resins.

In a previous report (1), the differences in the carbon number of the lower fatty acids contained in cutaneous secretions such as axillary sweat, smegma, and dandruff, were considered as factors responsible for the difference in odor between osmidrotic and non-osmidrotic subjects. Besides these there are ammonia constituents and volatile salts (trimethylamine, methylamine) which may take part in causing the axillary odor. The musklike odor of sweat is said to be due to saturated keton and indole, and the odor of feces to fatty acids, indole, skatole, methylmercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Martin and Alpert (2) demonstrated that endogenously produced skatole and indole were adsorbed by polyamine anion exchange resins. Employing Amberlite XE-64, and XE-87, Thurmon and Ottenstein (3) succeeded to take up lactic acid, ammonia, and urea of sweat in vitro and suggested the possibility of taking off the offensive odor of sweat by these materials. It seems therefore quite possible that the scent-substances mentioned above can be adsorbed by ion exchange resins and consequently that the osmidrosis may be treated by making use of appropriate resins. The adsorptive power of various ion exchange resins was first tested with fatty acids, ammonia, and indole; then their deodorizing effect was examined with feces, urine, and osmidrotic sweat in vitro. As favorable results were obtained, various kinds of preparations of ion exchange resins were manufactured, and their deodorizing effects were observed on subjects with osmidrosis.