TREATMENT BY DRUGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 9

TREATMENT BY DRUGS.

Success Claimed For New

Derivative.

WEAPON AGAINST PNEUMONIA.

(Received 9.30 a.m.)

LONDON, June 17.

"The Lancet" publishes air account of remarkably successful treatment of pneumonia, including the case of an old woman whose left lung collapsed, with a recent sulphonamide derivative called May-and-Baker 693. There is no doubt it provides a new weapon of greatest effectiveness, says "The Times."

A distinguished bacteriologist states: ''It is too good to be true. We can scarcely allow ourselves to believe that diseases of such desperata character as severe pneumonia, streptoeocal meningitis and puerperal fever are noW curablc by the sulphonilamide group of drugs."

The suplhanilamide group or drugß has been in fairly constant use in Auckland •nd New Zealand generally for some time, mostly in cases of puerperal septicaemia and infections in general where streptococci were present, stated a prominent medical man this morning. The results had been variable.

There were many of these drugs of the same family, produced by different makers, but it would be unwise to say that the particular one mentioned in the message from London was capable of all that was claimed for it. There had been premature enthusiasm In many other cases. The fact that the use of the drug which was favoured by many practitioners in this country did not return a consistent effect was a factor that must weigh against a hasty acceptance of the cabled statement until further particulars were received.