Evening star., 1939-03-17
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Stan Correspondent.

Star Stan Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, March 17.-Prepa-
retions Of sulfapyridine in the form
Of a sodium salt easily and COM
pletely soluble in water so that 1t can
be injected directly into the veins
and which will raise the concentra-
ton Of the drug in the blood to any
desired level in less than Is minutes
was announced before the Central
Atlantic section of the American
College Of Surgeons here today.
Sulfapyridine is the new miracle
drug" in the treatment of pneu-
monia, where 1t seems to have as
pronounced an effect as its close
relative, sulfanilamide, in strepto-
coccic infections and meningitis.
Introduced from England less than
year ago, it has never been made
available to the general practitioner,
but has been distributed to few
American physicians for expert
mental use. Only within the last few
days has 1t actually been placed on
the market, and within a few weeks
limited quantity may be purchased
at drug stores on a physicians pre-
scription.
Dosage Brought Problem.
The new form developed at Johns
Hopkins University. it was an
nounced by DR.. Perrin H. Long, as
sociate professor of medicine at that
institution, probably will be available
to the general practitioner early next
fall in time for the pneumonia sea-
son. While the original sulfapyridine
seems the most effective agent yet
introduced against one Of the great
est killers of the human race. DR..
Long said, one drawback has been
that there has been no standard
dosage. Because Of the difficulty of
getting it into solution it has been
given only by mouth. It's effective
ness has depended on getting a cer-
tain concentration level in the blood.
The dosage required to reach this
level has varied greatly with indi-
vlduals and with circumstances. An
exact amount Of the new form can
be introduced, depending on the
weight Of the patient. with absolute
certainty Of the resulting concentra-
ton.
At Johns Hopkins this year, DR..
Long reported. pneumonia cases
have been treated with pneumonia
Serums alone, with pneumonia
serums plus sulfanilamide, and with
sulfapyridine alone. The results with
this last drug have been so far
superior to all the other methods
that for the past seven weeks, the
heighth of the pneumonia season,
these have been abandoned alto
gether.
Death Rate Cut.
For the past three years. with
serums and sulfanilamide both
available, the pneumonia death rate
at Johns Hopkins has been around
20 per cent, DR.. Long said. Since
last July when sulfapyridine first
was received, the rate has been only
per cent. Even this record, he be-
lieves. should be improved before
the 12-month period is completed,
because pneumonia falls of in late
spring and summer and cases are
likely to be less severe.
Very similar figures, DR.. Long
said, have been reported from other
hospitals where sulfapyridine ex-
periments have been in progress.
Some physicians have claimed, how
ever, that this has been a mild
pneumonia year with cases of all
types less virulent. Tests at Johns
Hopkins, based on the degree of
bacterial poisoning, which is a
measure Of virulence, show that the
pneumonia in Baltimore this winter
actually has been slightly more
virulent than was the case last year
and close to the general average of
the last four years.
The most sensation effects. he
said, are In lobar pneumonia, caused
by some form of the pneumococcus
organism. His own experiments
have shown, however, that it is
about as effective-and by far the
most effective agent known-against
pneumonias caused by the staphly-
coccus organism. Reduction of fever
is probably the most outstanding
effect. In almost every case the