Evening star., 1942-10-01
Medical Society Told
OF New Su|fa Uses
In Time Of War
Ointment for Burns May
Be Answer to One of
Most Serious Problems
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
A new sulfa drug ointment for
burns, perhaps the most serious
medical problem of the present war,
which is far more effective in pre-
venting infection and promoting
healing than the treatments now
generally used. has been produced
after extensive experiments by Navy
surgeons.
1t was described to the District
Medical Society at its annual SCI
entific assembly today BY Comdr.
E. H. Cushing.
The production problem is such,
however. that general distribution
is unlikely for several months and
Comdr. Cushing warned his brother
medical officers not to spread the
report too enthusiastically.
The essential ingredient of the
ointment Is the newest of the sulfa
drugs to come into general use
sulfadiazine. The great problem to
overcome, Comdr. Gushing said, was
that of a proper base with which this
could be used-something which
would remain of the same consist
ency under all climatic conditions
of naval service. A mixture finally
has been produced, he said, which
is of the same consistency at 40
degrees below zero in the Arctic and
at the highest temperature in the
Tropics.
Burned Area Tanned.
Once the problem of shock has
been met in severe burns, he said,
a major treatment has been to put
some coating over the burned area
which will prevent the escape of
fluids from the body. This has
been accomplished by various meth
DDS of "tanning"-covering the sur
face with tannic acid, silver nitrate,
gentian violet or something of the
sort.
This temporarily serves the func-
tions of the damaged skin. 1t re-
mains the best treatment for gen.
eral practice until the new ointment
can be produced in quantities,
Comdr. Gushing said. but it has
serious drawbacks. First, it is diff
cult to detect the start of infection
under the tanned" surface. When
one Of the tanning agents is used
over face burns it acts like an Iron
mask" and the patient is extremely
uncomfortable. Also, in cases of
question as to whether a burn is
second or third degree it is impos-
sible to determine whether skin has
started to grow again until the coat
ing is removed.
Burn injuries are not we'll adapted
to sprinkling with sulfa dusts be-
cause of the tendency OF these to
cake. A standard practice has been
to cover them with grease, such as
lard or butter, at once after clean
ing The new ointment preserves
this treatment and at the same time
has a definite anti-infection value.
It approaches, he said, the ideal of
preventing infection with the least
damage to tissue.
New data on the use Of sutton
amides in treatment of wounds was
presented by Comdr. J. r. Fulton
of the Naval Hospital staff.
Value Shown at Pearl Harbor.
1t is becoming more clear, he said,
that sulfanilamide, first OF these
drugs to come into general practice,
is the best substance for applying
locally to wounds 1t is 10 times more
potent for this purpose than sulfa-
thiazine and 80 times more than sui
fadiazol and also it has 80 times the
potency around the wound itself
than when taken by mouth.
AS an illustration of its value in
military surgery he cited that while
there was an 80 per cent mortality
OF persons with abdominal wounds
with perforation of the viscera in
the last war, at Pearl Harbor there
was not single death from this
type Of injury, If the patient left the
operating room alive. This was due
in large part to the sulfa treatment
which prevented development of in
lection.
At the same. he stressed. sulfa-
diazine by mouth is extremely valu-
able Every man entering combat,
he said. should be provided with
single heavy dose to take when
wounded. 1t was first proposed to
issue sulfanilamide. but this is more
toxic than the diazine and is likely
to produce weakness and confusion
when a wounded man must be in
possession Of all his faculties to save
himself.
The virtues and defects of sulfa
drugs were discussed yesterday by
a panel conducted by DR.. Harrison
F. Flippin of the University Of