Rodriguez and Eubanas: Leprosy with Antimony 587 



The formula used in this experiment was the revised one of 

 Castellani 5 except that the amounts of glycerine and water 

 were increased from 8 and 22 milliliters to 40 and 60 milliliters, 

 respectively : 



R/ Tartar emetic 0.065 gm. 



Sodium salicylate 0.650 " 



Potassium iodide 4.000 " 



Sodium bicarbonate 1.000 " 



Glycerine 40.000 ml. 



Aqua q. s. ad 60.000 ml. 



The above amount was given in two days, the patient taking 

 15 milliliters of the mixture, diluted with water, twice daily. 

 Each dose thus contained 1.625 centigrams of tartar emetic and 

 1 gram of potassium iodide. In the treatment of framboesia 

 with this mixture Castellani gives the full formula three times 

 a day, and in the Philippines Guerrero 6 and his coworkers, 

 after beginning with one-third dose three times on the first 

 day, and giving a full dose twice on the second day, was able 

 to give a full dose three times on the third and subsequent days. 



The treatment was given for eight consecutive days, making 

 a total of 240 milliliters in this period. The sixteen doses so 

 given were considered a series, and one series was given each 

 month for three successive months. 



The medicine was given after meals to avoid as far as possible 

 gastric irritation. For the same reason the dose was not in- 

 creased, although in using a colloidal preparation of antimony, 

 "oseol stibium," Cawston advises pushing the dosage until toxic 

 symptoms, as diarrhoea, are seen. The administration of the 

 medicine is not without difficulty, as even among nonlepers this 

 mixture often upsets the stomach as observed in cases of yaws 

 so treated. 



Among the most important immediate after effects have been 

 those referable to the irritation of the gastrointestinal tract. 

 Lepra fever, with constitutional disturbances, has been another 

 difficulty. When this occurred the medicine had to be stopped 

 temporarily until the fever subsided. The bad taste of the 

 medicine is in itself a difficulty, as it is intolerable to some 

 patients, who sometimes refused absolutely to take it. 



s Castellani, A., and Chalmers, A. J., Manual of Tropical Medicine, New 

 York, 3d ed. (1920) 1563. 



" Guerrero, L. E., Domingo, E., and Arguelles, M., Philip. Journ. Sci. 

 § B 13 (1918) 191. 



