The Treatment of Pneumococcic Pneumonia With Sulfapyridine

The encouraging results of sulfanilamide therapy in infections due to the hemolytic streptococcus, gonococcus, meningococcus and B coli have permitted an expectation that eventually there would become available a similar compound which would be effective in the treatment of pneumococcic diseases. This hope has been fortified because of the effects which sulfanilamide itself has been shown to have against the pneumococcus in studies both in vitro and in vivo. Domagk, 1 in his original publication of experimental observations with prontosil, had indicated a belief that this dye was moderately effective against pneumococci, especially of type III. The studies of Nitti, Bovet and Depierre 2 in vitro and of Buttle 3 in mouse peritonitis had suggested that sulfanilamide would act on the pneumococcus, but in a degree which was considerably below its effect on hemolytic streptococci. Moreover, Heintzelman, Hadley and Mellon 4 of Pittsburgh reported some success with the use of