SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— B. 347 



the base one-half of each molecule — i.e. the sulphonamide group attached 

 to the azo group in the para position. Other chemicals, apart from the 

 azo-series, which carry the sulphonamide group in the para position were 

 also investigated. 



The discovery of a general remedy for streptococcal diseases soon aroused 

 scientific interest throughout the world, and much literature has now been 

 published, first from the German clinics, and subsequently from those 

 in other parts of the world. French investigators were the first to make 

 public the fact that para-amino-phenyl-sulphonamide possessed anti- 

 streptococcal action. 



In England the Therapeutic Trials Committee was given a supply of 

 Prontosil, and this was tested out by Dr. Colebrook and his collaborators 

 in the study of puerperal fever. Long and Bliss in America, hearing of 

 the results obtained by the above workers, began investigations on their 

 own. The value of the preparation was soon realised in erysipelas, puer- 

 peral fever and septic throat. Recently indications of treatment in diseases 

 other than streptococcal have come to the front, namely, in meningococcal, 

 pneumococcal, gonococcal and gas-gangrene infections. 



The originators of the Prontosil compounds, Domagk and his colla- 

 borators, have succeeded in obtaining three compounds under the name of 

 Diseptal which are allied to Prontosil and which exert an antistreptococcal 

 action as effective as that already available together with an increased 

 efficacy on staphylococci, gonococci, gas-gangrene and possibly other 

 organisms. Clinical work with these compounds has already been 

 published. 



The mode of action and excretion of sulphonamide preparations has 

 been studied by many writers. Despite the suggestion that the action of 

 the two more complicated Prontosil compounds is explicable on the basis 

 of decomposition to p-amino-phenyl-sulphonamide, it appears that this is 

 not the complete explanation. 



It is difficult to say what the future of chemotherapy will lead to, but 

 it is believed that the new compounds (e.g. Diseptal) may act effectively 

 against organisms other than those already mentioned. 



Sir Gilbert T. Morgan and Mr. Eric Walton. — New derivatives 

 of p-arsanilic acid (11. 45). 



During the last few years a group of compounds of general formula I 

 and with values of n ranging from o to 8 



ASO3H2 



I 



NH.CO.[CH2]„.CONRiR2 



has been prepared at the Chemical Research Laboratory, Teddington. 

 These compounds were in general obtained by condensing p-arsanilic acid 

 with a derivative of a dibasic acid, usually the ester-acid chloride, and con- 

 verting the product into an amine according to the scheme : — 



As03H.,C6H.4NH2 + C10C.(CH2)„.C00R ^ 



As03H.;C6H.4NH.CO.(CH2)„.COOR ^ 



As03H.2C6H.4NH.CO.(CH2)„.CONRiR2 



Nearly all the sodium salts of these amides proved to be trypanocidally 

 active in mice, and accordingly three of the most promising, namely sodium 



