THE POTENTIAL IRRITANCY TO THE RABBIT EYE MUCOSA OF CERTAIN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE SHAMPOOS

Abstract

To T•OSE investigators concerned with the safety of shampoos and other products intended for use about the eyes, and Draize are almost synonymous terms. The so-called Draize named after its originator Dr. J. H. Draize, was, tmtil recently, the quasi-official test of the American Food and Drug Administration; as suck, it has gained worldwide renown and has provided for many years a realistic assessment of the potential da•gers of new products. It attempts to establish, under standardized conditions, the maximum irritax•cy of the preparation; at the same time it takes into consideration the fact that one of the first reactions, when an irritant substance penetrates into the eye, is to bathe the eye with water (this may or may not have a beneficial effect). For those who are not familiar with the test, the procedure described in Appraisal of the Safety of Chemicals used • Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, published by the Association of Food and Drug Officials of the United States in 1959, is reproduced herewith: