Evening star., 1942-05-20
'T1SSsEVO INV DISTHCCIVTTI
or Blood Stream Reported
Prof. Zondek, Sex Hormone Authority, Cites
Results Of Tests Of StophyIococcic Infections

known to the public rs the hero Of
the recent popular picture, THE
Silver Bullet"
DR.. Ehrlich made q long series Of
experiments, In the test tube and
not in living animals. with various
phenol bodies. He reported that
their disinfectant potency was de-
stroyed when mixed with blood
serum, and hence they could have
no value In the blood stream itself.
Work Stood without Check.
The experiments may not have
been carefully controlled. Prof.
Zondek himself does not get quite
the same results, although he does
find q partial explanation for them.
But 50 great was Ehrlichs reputa-
ton that nobody has considered 1t
worthwhile to repeat his work.
DR.. Zondek's own work has been
primarily in the field Of the female
sex hormones. One of these is OBJ
tanned in large quantities from the
urine Of pregnant mares. He OBJ
served that this could be allowed to
stand for months without becoming
contaminated by bacteria. The
hormone was a "phenol body" It
had come from the mare herself
and hence could not have been
robbed Of its potency by physiologi-
cal processes inside the body.
The disinfectant he chose was OF
similar but simpler structure. A
remarkable fact discovered some
years ago in relation to the sex
hormone was that 1t could be ab-
sorbed into the blood stream
through the skin.
Same Percentage Found.
The quantities of CX excreted
during five days after the injec-
ton Of one gram intromuscularly In
a rabbit and after rubbing one gram
on the shaved back Of a rabbit" he
says. were found to be the same,
approximately IS per cent. 1t thus
follows that CX is absorbed through
the skin. circulates in the blood.
and is excreted through the urine
"Twenty-four hours after inocu-
lation Of from to so staphylococ-
CT in two centimeters of defibri-
mated blood from 100 to 800 million
can be counted. When the blood of
CX-treated patients Is used for
the same experiment the multiple
cation Of these organisms Is him
dered so as to make any count
impossible. Nevertheless, the Or
ganisms are not all destroyed, since
on further passage Of this blood to
blood agar. staphylococci do grow.
This powerful bacteriostatic ef-
feet Is possible after the cutaneous
application Of only as grams of
CX. So far as the bacteriostatic
activity in the blood Is concerned,
the treatment Is far more effective
than with sulfanilamide and more
active than with sulfapyridine or
sulfathiazole. The action has 30
far been tested against staphylococ-
Cd only"
Still Checking Finding.
There Is accumulating evidence.
DR.. Zondek says, that the phenol
body forms . chemical combination
with red blood corpuscles-the re-
sulting substance being the real
agent that prevents the bacteria
from multiplying in the blood. This.
he believes, may explain Ehrlich's
failure since he experimented only
with blood serum and found no
convincing effect.
The finding still Is in its infancy,
DR.. Zondek stresses, and he Is with
holding until later detailed reports
Of his clinical use Of the substance
He summarizes them briefly as
follows: The cutaneous application
of the ointment il an excellent
means for disinfection Of An opera
tive fleld. the skin remaining sterile
for II hours. BY the cutaneous ap-
plication OF J grams, an anti-bac-
terial activity Of the blood is stimuli
taneously provoked, thus providing
some protection against possible
post-operattve infection.
Act on Pyelitis.
we have obtained the most en-
couraging results in the treatment
of such infections as cystitis and
pyelitis. Infections due to staphy-
lococci and proteus react particu-
larly well and q disinfection of the
urine is obtained. Infection due to
B coli (the cause Of various intesti-
nal infections) react well cnnically;
that is, the symptoms disappear
after q short time. In most cases,
however, the bacteria are not de-
stroyed. The treatment lasts five
days. the daily dose being 10 10 40
grams. which Is given cutaneously,
with I or 4 grams nArentallv