﻿rx, B. 1 Willets: Treatment of Entamoebiasis IQl 



Days. 



Control cases 11.3 



Ipecac cases 9.6 



Emetine cases 6.0 



Neosalvarsan cases 1.4 



It thus appears that not 25+ per cent but a lesser one should 

 be subtracted from the results apparently obtained by the admin- 

 istration of ipecac, emetine, and neosalvarsan in our cases. It 

 also appears that the percentage to be subtracted decreases as 

 we pass from the ipecac to the emetine in the neosalvarsan 

 cases, becoming practically nil in the last named. 



The average total grams of drug given to "cured" cases up 

 to the first of the two final negatives was — 



Ipecac 15.8 



Emetine 0.391 



Neosalvarsan 1.24 



From the foregoing it appears that neosalvarsan is the remedy 

 of choice for treating nondysenteric entamoebiasis and that 

 emetine is inferior to ipecac in percentage of "cures" obtained 

 but superior to it in rapidity of action. The evidence regarding 

 emetine and ipecac is hence rather contradictory. Perhaps the 

 explanation of this lies in the facts that the dosage of emetine 

 varied widely, that this drug was administered in some cases 

 hypodermically and in others intravenously, and that the ipecac 

 cases were treated more persistently than the emetine cases. 

 The number of cases of the emetine series treated by hypodermic 

 injections and of those treated by intravenous injections is too 

 small to admit of comparison. The indications were that the 

 hypodermic method is the better of the two in expelling enta- 

 mcebae from the intestinal tract, probably because of slower 

 elimination. It has the disadvantage of causing a local reaction 

 at the site of injection, however, while this symptom does not 

 attend cases treated intravenously. 



The average of days of treatment was greater but the average 

 of total grams of drug administered was less in "uncured" 

 cases than in those "cured" by ipecac or by emetine. 



SUMMARY 



1. The 132 cases of entamoebiasis considered consist of 27 dysenteric and 



105 nondysenteric cases. The dysenteric cases are divided into 11 

 treated with emetine and 16 with ipecac; the nondysenteric, into 44 

 controls — 34 treated with ipecac, 19 with emetine, and 8 with neo- 

 salvarsan. 



2. A. Prophylaxis against the occurrence of entamoebic dysentery in an 



infected individual and against carriers of Entamoeba histolytica 



