Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-03
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,


LONDON by Mail "A new drug,
making rapid progress in wound
treatment here, promises to be one
of the most noteworthy medical
advances to come out of the war.
Chemists speak of it as diamidino-
Observation-Disclosures -
physicians by the less jaw breaking
term, propamidine The latest issue
of Lancet, official journal of the
British Medical Association, reports
on its properties from both the eX
perimental and clinical aspects.
1t sterilizes injuries, such as burns
that have remained perslstently in
/ fected for months. It's greatest
value seems to be that it permits al
most immediate plastic surgery, such
| as skin grating, which otherwise
might be delayed for long time.
Advantage Over Sulfa Drugs.
1t has a striking advantage over
prepare tons of any of the sulfa
! drugs for external application, the
| doctors who have experimental with
| it point out, because their action as
bacteriastatic agents-that is in pre-
venting the growth of injecting
organiSmS-is inhibited as soon as
pus begins to form. This is process
which normally accompanies the
healing of most wounds, especially
those infected with staphylocci
bacteria against which these drugs
are least effective The bacteria
static properties of the new drug
remain unaffected.
The approved method of treating
disfguring wounds, or wounds cover
ing considerable areas anywhere, Is
by skin grating from the patients
body as soon as possible. This is
impossible the physicians point out,
as long as pus continues to form.
1t lifts up and distorts the skin
gratis
One of the most enthusiastic re-
ports comes from DR.. A. H. McIndoe
of the University of Minnesota and
Wing Comdr. A. R. Tilley of the
Royal Canadian Air Force. formerly
of the University of Toronto, who
are working at a plastic and jaw
injury center for wounded airmen
here
In their cases, they say, every
effort is made to replace lost skin
as soon As possible Their efforts
often are complicated by pus forma-
ton.
Rapidly Corrected.
In some instances" they add,
the clinical improvement of wounds
was striking in 48 hours. In II cases
of persistent streptococcus infection
in which other methods had
failed, one-tenth of l per cent of
propamidine in a dater-soluble jelly
base cleared up the trouble in from
4 to 10 days
In the treatment of burns, an
especially frequent type of injury in
this war. "propamidine may be an
almost ideal flrst-aid preparation"
testify Wing Comdr. George H.
Morley and Flight 1t. j. P Bentley
of the Raj.
Above all, they say. it is the easiest
method of treatment for the patient.
1t is applied to burns in the form
OF sou. SoOthlng cream. Dressings
are changed, at the best an unpleas-
ant process, only at 48-hour in
tervals. They advise, however, that
the treatment be kept up no longer
than 10 days. since it has been found
to injure tissue if continued longer.
1t can be started again, however,
after two or three days interval.
Animal Experiments Made.
Experimental results with animals
are described by Drs. w. r. Thrower
and F. C. o. Valentine One of the
weaknesses Of the sulfa drugs is
that their action is blocked by pres
ence in the blood stream of para
aminobenzoic acid. first recognized
as the anti-gray hair vitamin and
now as vitamin probably essential