23,6 Rodriguez and Eubanas: Leprosy with Antimony 585 



rapidly under this treatment than they would have done without 

 it. Comparison of the figures given with those of Clinic 1, 

 where the medication was not given, is unsatisfactory. Here! 

 fifty cases of lepra fever had an average hospitalization of 

 twenty-one days, six days less than the Clinic 2 group, but six 

 days more than the reported 1922 hospitalization average of 

 fifteen days, which is more than the four-day extra period of 

 Clinic 2. 



The data from the two clinics are, unfortunately, not directly 

 comparable, as there are important differences in the cases 

 registered. Clinic 1, established a year earlier, has many of 

 the more favorable cases, whereas Clinic 2 has a high propor- 

 tion of advanced cases of long duration, less favorable for 

 treatment. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that tar- 

 tar emetic in these cases was without any striking benefit. As 

 a matter of fact, this method of treatment was discontinued 

 because there was not only no evidence of improvement as a 

 result of it, but distinct evidence of injury to the kidneys. 



TREATMENT WITH ANTIMONY WINE 



While the experiment with tartar emetic administered in- 

 travenously was in progress, a cough mixture containing wine 

 of antimony was given to twelve other General Hospital cases. 

 Most of them had cough due to pulmonary tuberculosis; two 

 had probable leprotic ulceration of the larynx, the lungs being 

 negative. The doses were equivalent to from 2 to 3 milliliters 

 of the wine daily, or 0.008 to 0.012 gram of tartar emetic. The 

 treatment was continued for six months. 



Of the cases put under treatment, two left the hospital after 

 a short time, and one was dropped because of chronic nephritis. 

 Of the remaining nine, two showed improvement of the cough, 

 two remained practically stationary except for slight improve- 

 ment of ulcers, two became distinctly worse, both as regards 

 the cough and the ulcerations, and three died. None showed 

 improvement of the leprotic lesions at the end of the six months. 

 Antimony wine was also given undiluted to another group 

 of ten patients of similar type. The dose was 3 cubic centi- 

 meters a day at the start; this was gradually increased until 

 some were taking as much as 9 cubic centimeters per day 

 equivalent to 0.036 gram of tartar emetic. At this dose it 

 caused nausea and occasional diarrhoea. It was administered 

 for periods of fifteen days with five rest days between, over the 

 six months. 



