F. C. MINETT, AND W. P. S. EDWARDS
3
re 67 and 45 gm. During the present
var, sulphanilamide, applied daily as a
lusting powder, has been found useful
n ridding wounds of hæmolytic streptococ-
[Colebrook, 1941]. In this case the
ound should either be a fresh one or
one in which granulation is proceeding.
in fact, sulphanilamide can sometimes be
used in this way when dosage by the
mouth is contraindicated.
In some acute streptococcus infections
n horses, e.g. pneumonia, sulphanilamide
s of outstanding value [Descazeaux et
al, 1939; Hignett, 1940; Steck, 1940; Baze-
ey, 1940-1]; in chronic conditions, e.g.
chronic sinusitis or nasal catarrh, fistulous
withers [Arnold, 1939; Bazeley, 1940] the
drug is of less value. The following
workers have reported on trials with
sulphanilamide or related compounds in
strangles (the numbers in parenthesis
show the number of cases treated):
1938,
1939,
1940,
1941,
Guerret (11).
Douglas and Walker (3)
Descazeaux et al. (8)
Arnold (5)
Steck (at least 32)
Knowles (15)
Bazeley (1)
Jastrzebski (?)
Leo (31).
Kurzenhauser (?)
The salient points of this work are,
(1) Impressions as to the value of the
treatment are in general somewhat vari-
able. This is not surprising because the
disease is not a killing one and the course
and clinical manifestations are themselves
ather inconstant. Also, cases acting as
controls were not always kept.
(2) There is fair unanimity as to the
avourable effect of the treatment on the
ever. This in itself must mean that the
drug has some influence on the infection.
(3) There are indications that the drug
nhibits inflammatory œdema and so tends
o localize abscesses. This is in conformi-
y with medical experience, e. g. in the
arly work on puerperal fever it was
noted that prontosil prevented the spread
of infection to the parametrial tissues
[Colebrook and Kenny, 1936]
(4) The drug has no effect on an abs-
cess once it has formed. This again
would be expected.
Particular reference may be made to
Steck's work. He administered 80-110 gm.
doses to adult horses, the drug being
suspended in 3-4 pints of tepid water and
given through a tube by the nasal route.
If the case was responding, the tempera-
ture might be expected to have fallen by
the second day. For example, on the
second day after a single-dose treatment
of 80 gm. the main daily temperature had
fallen by 0.5º C. (0.9º F.) or more in 25
cases, by less then 0.5º C. in 13 cases, and
had remained the same or risen in 10
cases. Single doses, however, usually
gave only a transient improvement, while
with continued dosage one had to guard
against anæmia. Of 25 cases treated with
repeated doses (up to seven) at one—or
two-day intervals, 13 showed enduring
improvement, in six the effect was feeble
or not enduring and in six the course of
the disease appeared to the uninfluenced.
Two important rules to be observed were
(a) strict rest during the fever, (b) rest
during a convalescent period of three
complete days without any fever and then
gradual return to exercise.
PROGRAMME OF INVESTIGATION
The experiments were carried out
during the period, October 1939 to May
1942, on the numbers of animals shown
below:
Mona
Sargodha
1939-40
23 (ordinary
dose)
23
1940-41
10 (ordinary
dose)
3 (larger dose)
13
1941-42
5 (ordinary
dose)
7 (larger dose)
..
12 Total 48
experimen-
tal cases.