A study of the effect of streptohydrazid on lepromatous leprosy over a period of about three years.

T n view of the fact that Isonicotinic Acid Hydrazid and Streptomycin have been shown to have an effect on the M. leprae, i t was considered advisable to test the combination of these two drugs in leprosy. A study was started , therefore, on a group of lepromatous cases in January, 1 954. I n March, 1 956, 4 more cases were added to th is series. In all 59 cases have been studied, of which 47 will be included in this report . Those not included had insufficient treatment to be of any sign ificance in this eval uation, but the length of treatment of the remaining 47 ranged from 10 to 40 months with an average of 32 months' treatment . D u ring the period of experi­ mental trial one patient died after 24 months treatment. He had shown an init ial cl inical i mprovement but after 1 8 months he showed a marked regression in symptoms, but in spite of all that could be done, he d ied some 4 months after Streptohydrazid was discon­ t inued. Apart from this case, all the other patients cont inued treat­ ment and stood the drug well . In January, 1 9 56, one of us (R.G.C.) ret urned to Kano and with the co-author made a prel iminary assessment of the pat ients under trial with Streptohydrazid, and duri ng this assessment it was noted that patients who had previous sui phone therapy appeared to do better than patients who had been placed on Streptohydrazid alone. Therefore, a group of cases was selected and placed on 50 % Sulphetrone solution i njected intramuscularly twice a week: 28 cases were placed on addit ional Sulphetrone by injection and 1 8 cases remained on Streptohydrazid alone. One case was not included in the cont inuation of the experiment , making a total of 46 cases. The 50 % solution of Su lphetrone was chosen because in our experi­ ence heavy lepromatous cases showed less reaction and improved better under intramuscular injection of 50 % Sulphetrone than with oral DDS, and i t has been shown by one of us (R.G.C.), i n a previous communication that parenteral Sulphetrone i n the form of a 50 % solution does not break down into DDS. The dose of parenteral Sulphetrone which was given was 3 ccs . of a 50 % solution of Sulphetrone, intramuscularly, twice a week ; that is, 3 gms. a week. We record the following general observations. Firstly, only lepromatous cases were i ncluded in th is study, and before the experi­ ment started all cases had a complete physical examination, with a