The Chemotherapy of Pneumonia
Abstract
The introduction of sulfanilamide as a therapeutic agent caused a tremendous increase in interest in the subject of chemotherapy generally and following the demonstration of its success against the hemolytic streptococcus, it was tried extensively in pneumococcal infections. A considerable degree of therapeutic success was obtained but its value was somewhat lessened by the severe toxic effect. Efforts were then made to produce related compounds of lessened toxicity. In May, 1938, Whitby1 published his results in protection of mice from experimental pneumococcal infections with a new compound first labeled M & B 693 or dagenan, which has come to be known in this country as sulfapyridine. Chemically it is 2- (P-aminobenzenesulphonamido) pyridine. Whitby demonstrated that this compound was of low toxicity and would protect mice against 10,000 lethal doses of Type I pneumococcus and that it would afford a high degree of protection against infection with Types II, III, V, and VIII pneumococci.
Evans and Gaisford2 reported the results of a study of 100 cases of pneumococcal pneumonia treated with this compound in July, 1938. They recorded a mortality rate of 8 per cent in a group of cases treated with this material as against 27 per cent in a control group of 100 cases receiving nonspecific treatment. This remarkable advance in the therapy of a difficult infection attracted widespread attention and has now been confirmed by numerous investigators3, 4, 5 whose reports show that the average mortality figures have been reduced from the usual 25 to 30 per cent. . .
