Much interest has recently been aroused in the field of antibiotics by two distinct but related problems. The first concerns the possibility that in certain types of infection, notably subacute bacterial endocarditis, the bactericidal action of a drug is of greater therapeutic significance than the inhibitory effect (Hunter 1950; Robbins and Tompsett, 1951 ; Cates, Christie, and Garrod, 1951). ...

EMBOLIC phenomena occur with such frequency in the course of bacterial endocarditis as to constitute a cardinal diagnostic feature of this disease. However, it has been noted that the resultant infarcts are less often septic than would be expected if the emboli originated from the infected valvular vegetations.' A previous study of this apparent paradox showed that it is the nonbacterial thromb...

tions on short-term therapy (two weeks) for penicillin-sensitive streptococcal endocarditis. Med Clin North Am, July 1958, pp 1 101-1 140 8. Kaye D: Changes in the spectrum, diagnosis and management of bacterial and fungal endocarditis. Med Clin North Am 57: 941, 1973 9. Tan JS, Kaplan S, Terhune CA Jr, Hamburger M: Successful two-week treatment schedule for penicillin-susceptible streptococcus...