The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-26

tons, etc. One of the most widely
experienced practicing physicians
said to me the other day: mo
body dies any more Of pneumonia"
And this is almost literally true.
The enthusiasm Of the medical
profession has communicated IT.
self to the lay public and, as usual
with such emotional epidemics,
they have gone far beyond the
limits that the medical profession
prescribed for the use Of these
remedies and are using them for
Standardization for nearly every
thing.
In some instances, as for ordi-
nary colds and sore threats and
running noses, they do more harm
than good. In the first place, it is
definitely established that al
though they kill a great many in
fections, the sulfa drugs do not
kill off the virus Of the common
cold or influence its course.
Not Useful for Colds
People who take large doses Of
this for a cold not only do them
selves no good, but they really
prolong a period Of discomfort be-
cause heavy doses of the drugs are
likely TO lead to skin rashes, men,
tai and physical depression and
other disagreeable symptoms.
A popular treatise on the sub
ject is Behind the Suifd Drugs:
A Short History Of Chemotherapy.
by Iago Galdston, MD, with a
preface by Perrin H. Long, MD.
ID. Applston-Century Company,
New York, 1943)
In 1908 a German scientist
named P. Gelmo was working with
a chemical dye, sulfanilamide. He
found that it was extremely color
fast, resisted the bleaching effects
OF washing and sunlight. The
color-fastness arose from the firm
combination which the dyes con-
tanning the sulfonamide element
formed with the proteins Of wool
and silk.
He was interested only on the
chemical and industrial aspects
of the subject, but some Of his fell
low workers suggested that il
might be useful in the treatment
of disease.
Later Developments
The new era in this develop
ment began in 1882 when Gerhard
Domagk, Director Of the Institute
of Experimental Pathology in the
l. G. Farbenindustrie at Eberfeld,
Germany, using a dye similar to
sulfanilamide, which was named
prontosil, found that II would pro-
tect mice against otherwise fatal
doses Of pus germs (streptococci).
He. found also that prontosil was
harmless to the mice.
French chemists took the dye,
prontosil, which is a colloid (col-
loid is like the white of egg) and
developed a crystalline substance
from it, to which they gave the
name sulfanilamide. About 1896
this drug was made available for
use in clinics all over the world.
1t was soon found that the most
exaggerated statements of the dis
coverers were far short Of the real
ly powerful curative action of
these substances in human beings
in the presence of otherwise fatal
infections.
Following is a list Of diseases,
not completely inclusive, in which
the sulfonamides are proving in
valuable and frequently life-sav-
ing: actinomycosis; blood infec-
tons with the hemolytic strepto-
cocci, staphylococci, pneumococci,
meningococci and influenza bacil.
lus; carbuncles; chancroid, child
bed fever; erysipelas; furuncles;
gonorrheal arthritis; gonorrheal
infection Of the male and of the
female genital tract; infectious
arthritis; infections Of the uri-
nary tract; mastoid infections:
meningitis; middle-ear infections:
osteomyelitis; peritonitis; pneu.
monia; scarlet fever; skin infec-
tons; streptococcic throat infec.
tons; and trachoma.