Encouraged by the clinical results, I have persevered with this treatment for many weeks at a time. In one instance the patient died from what was suspiciously like fat embolism; in another, while very large doses of chaulmoogra were being taken by the mouth and injected hypodermically, severe leprotic fever, associated with profuse eruption of lepromata, set in.
Sir Leonard Rogers has obtained very encouraging results from the intravenous injection of sodium gynocardate *[1] in doses of 1/10 to 4/5 gr. in 3-per-cent. sterilized solution. A definite local reaction in a proportion of cases, sometimes with fever, follows the injection.
Anti-leprol (Bayer), a preparation derived from chaulmoogra oil, is better tolerated than the crude drug and may be given in larger doses, up to 2 or 3 drachms a day by mouth and 7 minims subcutaneously twice a day.
Rocamora reports favourably of combining a prolonged (eighteen months) salvarsan treatment with a chaulmoogra course.
Gurjun oil, once in favour, seems to have been abandoned.
Unna claims to have cured several cases of leprosy by the internal administration of ichthyol in increasing doses, combining the internal medication with vigorous rubbing of the arms and legs twice a day with pyrogallic acid (10 per cent.) in lanolin, and the cheeks and trunk with chrysophanic acid (10 per cent. ) in lanolin; at the same time applying to the forehead and chin a plaster of chrysophanic and salicylic acids with creosote, changing the plaster every day. The treatment is continued for a month, and is then followed by a course of warm baths before being resumed.
Tuberculin has also been tried. It produces a local and a general reaction, which is sometimes curiously delayed for one or two days. So far from doing good it seems to aggravate the disease, causing
- ↑ * The drug, put up in proper doses in ampoules, can be obtained from Messrs. Smith, Stanistreet & Co.
