The use of sulfanilamide in pulmonary tuberculosis: preliminary report

Abstract

T H E chemotherapeutic effects of sulfanilamide (para-amino-benzene sul-fonamide) in certain infectious diseases have been successfully demonstrated in humans and in experimental animals. Although the best results have been obtained in beta hemolytic streptococcic infections, it has been used in other conditions, as gonococcic urethritis, meningococcus meningitis, colon bacillus pyelitis, brucellosis, etc., with varying degrees of success. Intensive studies have been carried out by Long and Bliss, who in a recent article * give an ex-cellent bibliography of investigations in this field. However, the possible use of sulfanilamide in chronic granulomatous infections has so far received little if any attention. In January 1938, Rich and Follis, Jr.2 reported their investigations with sulfanilamide in experi-mental tuberculosis. Of 59 guinea pigs inoculated with virulent tubercle bacilli, 31 were treated with orally administered crystalline sulfanilamide and 28 were used as controls. After five to six weeks the controls showed large local lesions and regional nodes, greatly enlarged tracheobronchial glands an