Evening star., 1939-10-29

DR.. Lloyd FELTON,, an eminent research
scientist at our National Institute of Health,
recently told me of an instance that illustrates
the mental fogginess, similar to alcoholic
intoxication, that sulfanilamide can cause.
Not long ago he took taxicab from the
Union Station in Washington to his home. At
the first traffic intersection the driver drove
through red light, then stopped to examine
his brakes. Thinking that the man was drunk,
DR.. FELTON, began to question him.
He denied that he had been drinking but
added Those pills the Doc gave me for
cold sure make me feel funny" DR.. FELTON,
asked for one of the pills, tasted it, and
Immediately came around to the front seat of
the cab saying, Move over. son, I'll drive
the rest of the way home"
When he reached home he called the COM
pany Office, telling them their driver was
drunk on sulfanilamide and that it would be
unsafe for him to move the car until relief
driver was sent out.
That man was using sulfanilamide under
doctor orders, although the condition he was
in would indicate that he may not have fol-
lowed directions carefully But suppose he had
been taking it entirely on his own and had
taken twice as much as usual that morning,
as many do who have heard that large doses
are needed. The results would have been dis
astrous, because by noon he wouldn't have
been able to tell one hand from the other
And suppose that he had been streetcar
motoman, locomotive engineer, bus driver
or an airplane pilot -.
DR.. FELTON, recognized the symptoms his
cab driver manifested because two years be-
fore, following the first reports of work on
sulfanilamide in this country. he had expert
mented with the drug on himself.
He took a small dose - five grains four
times day for two days. But, as he relates it.
That much was enough to make it difficult
and sometimes impossible for me to focus my
eyes or to concentrate. In driving car, when
l wanted to stop would raise my foot too
high for the brake; when finally stepped on
it had no sense of pressure. would either
stand the car on its front wheels by too sharp
stop or fail to stop it at all. My reactions
dorsalis "a serious syphilitic nerve infection)
who step high going upstairs or reach out for
an object too soon."
Here are few of the many cases reported
in medical journals that illustrate the dangers
of using sulfanilamide without careful medical
supervision:
A twenty two -year-old girl took $40 grains
over period of two weeks with the idea that
it would cure menstrual disturbance When
she entered the hospital she was completely
prostrated, had fever of los degrees and
died the following day.
A twenty one -year-old boy with gonorrhea
concealed the fact that he had been treating
himself with sulfanilamide. In the hospital
the gonorrhea was treated with more sulfanila-
mide. After being discharged as cured of his
gonorrhea he died ten days later The double
doses resulted in delayed involvement of the
spinal cord and paralysis of both legs and the
bladder Had he been frank about his self
treatment he most probably would be alive
today.
Another patient had bought 200 tablets of
sulfanilamide preparation and took six of
them every day. The result was neuritis
with intense pain in legs, feet and hands,
inability to open and close his fingers and
wasting of the muscles of the hands and lower
legs.
Recently one of the greatest living artists,
who had been cured of streptococcic infec-
ton of the hand bY the use of sulfanilamide