480 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1940 



fever, cholera, and typhoid fever. Another method was to prepare 

 the human tissue so that if the bacteria did strike they were defeated 

 from the start. This included vaccinating against smallpox and ty- 

 phoid fever, and immunizing against diphtheria. Still another means 

 of combatting infectious diseases was made available. If the bac- 

 teria had already invaded human tissue and caused disease, through 

 the elaboration of toxins, serum such as antitoxin could be used to 

 shorten the illness. Illustrative of this was the introduction of diph- 

 theria antitoxin into the therapy of diphtheria. 



There are many interesting chapters in the annals of medical his- 

 tory concerning attempts to control and combat infectious diseases 

 with chemical compounds. Consider the epoch-making contribution 

 of Joseph Lister, who introduced carbolic acid into the operating 

 room to prevent the contamination of operative wounds by bacteria. 

 For years, it had been common knowledge that certain chemicals 

 would kill microorganisms in large numbers, and do so in a short 

 period of time. Why not then inject these chemical solutions into 

 human beings whose bodies were being ravaged by bacteria? The 

 major difficulty with this procedure has been that these chemicals not 

 only killed the bacteria but destroyed the human cells as well. A 

 definite advancement was made when Paul Erlich and his chemists 

 synthesized an arsenical compound which could be injected into the 

 blood with reasonable safety for the treatment of syphilis. But this 

 was not an accomplishment completed without many disappointments. 

 Although they knew that arsenic spelled death of the spirochete of 

 syphilis, they also knew that this element was very toxic for human 

 tissues. The problem that confronted them was to introduce arsenic 

 in such a chemical combination that it would still be effective against 

 the spirochete and yet not be injurious to the host. After experi- 

 menting with many combinations — 606 to be exact — they gave ars- 

 phenamine to the world. Since then other chemicals have been 

 safely introduced into the human organism for the treatment of in- 

 fections, such as emetine hydrochloride for amoebic dysentery, and 

 atabrine for malaria. 



In discussing the history of sulfanilamide, Schulte has stated, 

 "Sulfanilamide did not appear suddenly, but was the product of 

 numerous investigations which extended over a period of 30 years." 

 Like so many other major scientific discoveries, the successful intro- 

 duction of sulfanilamide into the treatment of human disease was a 

 summation of the ceaseless work of many individuals. I should like 

 to cite for you a few of the persons whose names are closely linked 

 with one of the most outstanding therapeutic triumphs of our time. 

 Time does not permit us to include everyone. 



