Health Sciences · Hospital for Sick Children
A clear plastic clamshell case contains three clear glass ampoules. The case has a black embossed label that reads “SYNCURINE”. The ampoules are labelled with white lettering applied to the glass surface. Each has a gold ring near the narrow portion of the neck.
Accession Number: 2025.sk.71
Alternative Name: Decamethonium
Primary Materials: Plastic, Glass, Decamethonium.
White lettering on the ampoules reads as follows:
“SYNCURINE// INJECTION OF// DECAMETHONIUM// BROMIDE// 2 mg.// (1 mg. In each c.c.) // Intravenous// Burroughs Wellcome// & Co. (Canada), Ltd.”
Ampoules are then labelled either “Lot 624A” or “Lot 248B”
Box: Height = 3.5, Width = 7.2, Length = 2.
Syncurine (Decamethonium) is a muscle relaxant. It was used in anesthesia in instances requiring muscle paralysis. A common use was in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is carried out under general anesthesia.
Decamethonium was introduced into the British market by Burroughs Wellcome & Co. in 1949, it supplanted curare and related synthetic drugs. It was itself soon supplanted by Suxamethonium, which had a more rapid onset and more predictable effect.
Condition: Ampoules are unused and unopened.
Associated Instruments:
Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (Canada), Ltd.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1950s
Provenance:
Ball, C, and R Westhorpe. 2005. “Muscle Relaxants—Decamethonium.” Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (United States) 33 (6): 709–709.
Wellcome Collection Archives “Montreal, La Salle, Canada, 1929-1930, WF/CA/P/08“
The Canadian plant of Burroughs Wellcome & Co was established at La Salle, a district of Montreal, Quebec circa 1929 – 1930. (See Wellcome Collection Archives). It remained at that location until the latter part of the 20th century when it moved to Kirkland, also in Montreal.