23,6 Rodriguez and Eubanas: Leprosy with Antimony 589 



As regards the general condition, no patient claimed to feel 

 better than before treatment, and in none was any evidence of 

 improvement apparent. On the contrary, two cases were evi- 

 dently worse, due to repeated attacks of lepra fever. Loss of 

 appetite, a frequent complaint, may have had something to do 

 with this general result. 



The leprotic lesions in the majority of cases showed no signs 

 of improvement. In three, however, two nodular and one 

 mixed, there was slight improvement. This consisted of only 

 slight thinning of the nodules and of some of the infiltrations 

 on the face and extremities. 



More improvement was noticed in the ulcerations than in 

 any other feature. In three, 42 per cent of those with ulcers, 

 there was some improvement. The ulcers that improved were 

 not the trophic plantar lesion but the bacillus-containing ulcers 

 of leprotic nodules. The improvement was slight and was 

 manifested by slight drying up of the edges and shallowing of 

 the ulcers. In no case did the ulcers become worse. 



INCIDENTAL AND SIDE EFFECTS 



Kidney. — Because of the constant necessity of considering 

 the effect on the kidneys of such medication in the Culion lepers, 

 the urine of each case was examined four times — before treat- 

 ment was begun, and at the expiration of each of the three 

 months. No evidence of kidney injury was observed. On the 

 contrary, in two cases the urine, which at the outset contained 

 small quantities of albumin, cleared up ; so that in one of them 

 it was not found again, and in the other only at the end of 

 the first month. 



Gastrointestinal tract. — Side effects referable to this system 

 were salivation, epigastric heaviness, pain, nausea, and vomit- 

 ing. Salivation was a frequent symptom complained of by all 

 but two of the cases, but in no case was it marked. Epigastric 

 heaviness was reported by eight of the cases, and epigastric 

 pain by five, of which all but one were among those complain- 

 ing of heaviness. Neither symptom was severe. Nausea of 

 slight degree was recorded in patients who vomited, seven among 

 the total cases, two repeatedly and five only occasionally. 



Reproductive system.— -In the majority of the cases there 

 were no symptoms referable to the reproductive system but 

 Cases 1 and 2 always complained of scrotal pains after taking 

 the mixture for four to six days. Case 2 had an epididymo- 

 orchitis probably of leprotic origin; the pain frequently be- 



