Evening star., 1937-09-13
DRUG HELPSF|GHT
ON VIRUS DISEASES
Discovery of Dye Substance
Described to Clinic at
Georgetown.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

For the first time drug has been
found that has favorable specific
action against virus disease.
This may constitute an opening
wedge against a whole classification of
animal and plant diseases which in
cludes some of the most virulent and
dreaded that afflict man.
The finding was reported before
Georgetown University Medical
Schools graduate clinic today by Drs
Sanford M. Rosenthal, j. G. Wooley
and Henry Bauer of the National In
stitute of Health.
The drug is prontosil. introduced last
year from Germany and hailed at the
time as ore of the outstanding medical
discoveries Of the generation.
Newly Discovered MaIady.
The disease Is choriomeningitis,
newly discovered malady which apes
spinal meningitis in it's symptoms. but
which Is less serious and which, it
has been demonstrated, is not due to
the meningococcus, the bacterial
agent responsible for hitherto known
fatal inflammations of the meninges,
or Innings Of the brain and spinal cord.
The Importance of the discovery
lies in its implications rather than
in its practical significance at present,
for choriomeningitis remains rather
rare ailment, although probably much
more widely distributed than physi-
clans records indicate
Prontosil, dye substance, first was
| introduced as almost specific against
infections of the streptococcus, bac-
terium responsible for a wide range
| of ailments and perhaps best known
as the cause of the 'strep throat" and
In some cases Of blood poisoning.
Single Fraction Potent.
Further experiment showed that a
good deal of the prontosil itself was
unnecessary, and that . single frac-
ton of It's molecule-a substance since
widely publicized as sulphanilamide-
was even more potent in its action.
During the last year this sulphani
lamide. with certain variations in its
formula, has gone from one triumph
to another, but with reiterated warn
ings by physicians that its use must
be carefully controlled in the hands
Of the medical profession since it in
wolves some real dangers.
1t apparently plays havoc with the
whole pestiferous coccus family. Per-
hapS the most notable new result
reported has been the strikingly favor
able results obtained with the ven
nereal disease gonnorhea, caused by
the gonnococcus, an organism close
ly related to the streptococcus.
Other variations have been shown,
in animal experiments, to be potent
in treatment of pneumonia, caused
by several strains of the pneumococcus,
and meningitis, caused by the menin-
gococcus.
Large Organisms.
Now any of the cocci are relatively
large organisms. They can be seen
and easily identified under a micro
scope. The diseases they cause are
we'll known. In many cases, notably
with the pneumococcus, serums have
been prepared which act almost as
specifics against them.
For the last half century another
class Of diseases has been coming
more and more to the front. They are,
presumably, caused by living organ
isms. They produce some Of the most
common and deadly Of all maIadies.
One of them, for instance, probably
Is responsible for influenza. Another
Is blamed for the common cold. Sleep
ms sickness, infantile paralysis, par
rot fever and a host OF other fatal
malAdies are traced to the same cause.
Now these organisms are far too
small to be seen with any miscroscope.
Compared with coccus, they would
be like the tiniest Of heas compared
to an elephant. They have been the
despair of medicine. Generally speak
ing, only two courses Of treatment
were possible. The first has been
generalized treatment to keep up the
constitutional resistance Of the pa
tient. The second has been treatment
with the blood serum Of a person
who has recovered from the same
disease.
In the Public Health Service labora-