Abstract: A new method is presented which is useful in the prevention of the common cold (also called non-allergic rhinitis, viral upper respiratory tract infection, viral URI, etc and for this presentation will be referred to as the “common cold”) in mammals, including humans, and which also lessens the duration and intensity of the symptoms of the said condition should infection occur. Within the scope of the present invention is a method of treating pain in mammals, such as humans. The active ingredient in these methods can be a water soluble mixture available in oral form and selected from the chitin oligomers di N-acetyl chitobiose, tri N-acetyl chitotriose, tetra N-acetyl chitotetraose, penta N-acetyl chitopentaose, and hexa N-acetyl chitohexaose, with the water soluble oral chitosan oligomers selected from chitobiose, chitotriose, chitotetraose, chitopentaose, chitohexaose, and chitoheptaose.

Abstract: A new method is presented which is useful in the prevention of the common cold (also called non-allergic rhinitis, viral upper respiratory tract infection, viral URI, etc and for this presentation will be referred to as the “common cold”) in mammals, including humans, and which also lessens the duration and intensity of the symptoms of the said condition should infection occur. Within the scope of the present invention is a method of treating pain in mammals, such as humans. The active ingredient in these methods can be a water soluble mixture available in oral form and selected from the chitin oligomers di N-acetyl chitobiose, tri N-acetyl chitotriose, tetra N-acetyl chitotetraose, penta N-acetyl chitopentaose, and hexa N-acetyl chitohexaose, with the water soluble oral chitosan oligomers selected from chitobiose, chitotriose, chitotetraose, chitopentaose, chitohexaose, and chitoheptaose.