Nonspecific urethritis; a problem of management rather than of repeated antibiotics.

The relapse rate and its causation have been studied in 378 fresh cases of nonspecific urethritis. None of these cases had had treatment for the condition prior to attending this Centre; The diagnosis was established by finding, within seven to twenty-one days of exposure, a hazy urine with numerous pus threads and a mucopurulent· discharge which on staining by Gram's method showed numerous pus cells, occasional epithelial cells and organisms other than gonococci-e.g. diphtheroids, straphylococci, streptococci, coliforms and mouth commensals. Non-specific urethritis was differentiated from traumatic urethritis produced by excessive sexual activity or "milking down" of the urethra, ~d from chemical urethritis produced by the intra-urethral use of strong antiseptics. These conditions cause a. sparse discharge in which epithelial cells greatly outnumber pus cells. All cases were treated as follows: ' (a) Streptomycin 1 gram slat. (b) Sulphadiazine 2 grams slat., followed by 1 gram every four hours to a total of 32 grams. (c) Mist. sod. at. ! fl. oz. q.d.s. and fluids to 7 pints daily throughout the course of treatment. In addition it was strongly stressed to the patient that he should abstain for