Page 10 - Bulletins No. 4, 1938 sulphanilamide (protosil) in the treatment of malaria

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TOXIC EFFECTS.
No toxic effects of any importance were noted
>n the
pronlosil scries tlic <mly complaints being giddiness or eonstipa-
lion in a few cases.
In view of the serious effects on the blood which have been
reported in some instances following prontosil adniinistvation „
while cell count, differential count and Anteth index estimation
were done at the beginning and end of the course of frentment.
Nn significant change, was found.

DISCUSSION,

The presi'iii investigation has shown that sulpliunilniiiide has
Mime lethal action on plasinodium. a fact that this is of ficademic
interest in view of tin' relatively simple structure of the drug,
Somewhat surprisingly it appears to he much more active against
/'. ialciimniiu than against /'. vivar, AK a practical! addition
io ihe ilxa-api'iiiie armament in malaria, however, the drug lias
no place. It is obviously much less efficient than quinine, i>
nmre dangerous, and is much more: costly—the seven-day course
of pronlosil cosis $1.HI> Straits as against, SD.55 for quinine
treatment.
It must, ili'.'i'efniv IK- concluded that sulphanilainide is not
an cHieien! malarial remedy, though it does exert some lethal
action on ihe pantile*.

STM.UARY.
flj An mvestigation is described in which 80 cases of acute
malaria treated with prontosil are com pared with 68 cases treated
witli quinine, ^hydrochloride.
<2) It is found ihat pronlosil is not so efficient as quinine
in I', jtilcijianiin malaria.
13) I'runiosil is still less effective in /'. vivax and 1'. mahrk
malaria.
(4) .Prontosil i s not. i m efficient gametocidc either in
/'• (iilcipunim u r /'. rira.r malaria. Mosquitoes fed on "crescent"
carrier after seven-day trealment with prontosil wore found
to he readily infected.
('») N'o toxic effects were noted.
(0) It is concluded that, although prontosil has some lethal
action on malaria parasites, especially P. falciparum,-to b**™
Place m t|„. practjeoi ireatment of malaria owing to Us l° ff
.efficiency, possible toxicity and relatively high cost.