In a double-blind control study, oral doses of placebo, propoxyphene napsylate (50 or 100 mg), or codeine sulfate (30 or 60 mg) were administered to 46 postepisiotomy patients, grouped by severity of pain reported at first-dose drug administration. Eight hourly observations by a trained observer provided estimates of analgesia. The analgesia scores for placebo treatments were significantly lower than for the lesser doses of either drug (P less than .05) as well as for the greater doses (P less than .01). At both dose levels, the analgesia scores for both drugs were almost identical. Analgesia with the higher doses was greater than with the lower, but not to a statistically significant extent. The difference in patient responses increased following the second dose. No serious adverse reactions occurred; the elicited and volunteered reports of minor side effects were similar for all five treatments.