F. C. MINETT AND W. P. S. EDWARDS
11
The period of treatment was thus lengthe-
ned. In some cases abscesses became
multiple. Animals maintained their usual
condition during treatment, only losing a
little condition according to the severity
of the attack and without relation to the
administration period of the drug. After
treatment, animals quickly regained con-
dition except in those cases where absces-
ses were completely absorbed. These
were slow in picking up condition. In the
doses used, sulphanilamide
tends to
suppress abscesses. The duration of treat-
ment may be considerably shortened by
maturing abscesses by normal methods and
by using sulphanilamide after abscesses
have been emptied. As used in the depot,
the efficacy of the drug is most marked dur-
ing convalescence. In larger doses, sul-
phanilamide may perhaps sterilize pri-
mary abscesses altogether'.
In a non-fatal disease such as strang-
les it might be thought that the length of
stay in hospital would be an index of some
value in deciding the efficacy of a treat-
ment. Actually, for various reasons ob-
servations on this point are said to be no-
toriously unreliable.
In spite of the above remarks of the
Veterinary Officer, examination of the
figures shows that in the present series
there was no difference in the period of
hospitalization as between sulphanila-
mide-treated and control horses. Thus,
from Tables I-III there were 43 treated
cases and 42 untreated cases which reco-
vered—excluding Nos. 8181 and 8215 of
Table I and Nos. 6077 and 6094 of Table
III, severe cases which were hospitalized
for exceptionally long periods; the aver-
age time spent in hospital by the treated
cases was 34.5 days and by the untreated
35.4 days.
Body temperature. Capt. Short, wri-
ting of the 23 cases treated at Mona in
1939-40, states: 'During the 10 days' course
of treatment the temperature showed a
tendency to come down in practically all
cases and in some was normal after
the first or second day and remained so
throughout. In many cases it rose again
after completion of the course'. Major
Coulden, in regard to the cases treated
at Mona 1941-42, states: 'The period of
pyrexia was reduced by a few days'.
In Figs. 1-39 is reproduced the mean
daily body temperature (mean of morning
and evening readings) of treated animals
and their controls from the day of admis-
sion to (in many cases) the day of dis-
charge. It will be seen that in most cases
the temperature falls within 7-10 days of
admission without any sulphanilamide
treatment, so that the similar fall which
occurs in the sulphanilamide-treated
animals clearly cannot be ascribed to the
drug. In certain cases, however, (Nos.
52, 50, 8188, 8251, 181, 44, 9964, 27, 66,
8244, 8181) the early temperature fall in
the treated animals is distinctly more
abrupt than in the controls, so that here
we may agree with the suggestion that the
drug had some effect in depressing the
temperature.
In their general outline, the paired
temperature curves may be grouped as
follows:—
(a) Cases where the control curve
runs at a more or less constantly
higher level than that of treated
animals.
Nos. 52, 50, 8188, 8251, 181, 44, 8066,
27, 9964, 204, 97, 252, 33, 215 (Figs.
1 to 14). Total 14.
(b) Cases where the temperature curve
of treated animals is at a higher level
than the controls.
No. 5975 (Fig. 15). Total 1.
(c) Cases where on the whole there is
little difference between the curves.
Nos. 5352, 66, 32, 103, 8131, 8195, 5327,
5341, 6040, 5359, 202, 6045, 6002,
6087 8194 (Figs 16 to 30). Total 15
(d) Cases where a relapse during stay
in hospital caused a second rise of
temperature.
(i) in experimental cases
Nos. 8181, 8067, 8242, 8069, 8215,
8168 (Figs. 31 to 36). Total 6.
NOTE—In all these cases, the temperature
of the control ran higher than the treated
case during the period covered by the sulpha-
nilamide treatment.