JOHN A. KOLMER 1133 



COMPOUNDS OF MERCURY, ARSENIC, AND OTHER StJBSTANCES IN THE 

 CHEMOTHERAPY OF BACTERIAL DISEASES OF MAN 



It will be apparent from the preceding review of the chemotherapy of bacterial 

 diseases with compounds of mercury, gold, copper, silver, arsenic, creosote, etc., that 

 the subject is still largely, if not almost entirely, in the experimental stage. But 

 enough has been done to show that some bacteria may be removed from the blood- 

 stream at least by some of these compounds although there is much less evidence of 

 curative activity in localized bacterial infections of the fixed tissues. 



Practically the only compounds of this group used in the treatment of bacterial 

 diseases of man are the arsphenamins, for anthrax and streptococcus infections; creo- 

 sote and guaiacol derivatives, for tuberculosis and associated secondary infections; the 

 salicylates, for acute rheumatic fever; sodium cacodylate, for streptococcus endo- 

 carditis; mercurophen, metaphen, and mercurochrome, for acute streptococcus, 

 staphylococcus, and B. coli infections. Of course the colloidal silver-protein and 

 various mercurial compounds have also been used in the treatment of localized infec- 

 tions by topical application, and this is likewise a form of chemotherapy, but aside 

 from the examples just mentioned we have as yet made but little advance in the 

 chemotherapy of systemic infections of human beings with these compounds. 



But encouraging results have been obtained, and I firmly believe that the whole 

 field of the chemotherapy of bacterial diseases offers much hope for success. No 

 one will deny the importance of continuing investigation in so important a field, 

 especially since the specific treatment of acute and chronic bacterial diseases with 

 biological substances such as sera, vaccines, and similar agents so frequently fail to 

 produce beneficial results. 



