DIPHTHERIA CARRIERS TREATED WITH PENICILLIN

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Abstract
Nine patients (young soldiers in an army general hospital) who had recovered from diphtheria but who gave positive throat cultures for Corynebac-terium diphtheriae for 2-7 wks. after subsidence of symptoms, were treated with intramusc. injns. of penicillin in a dosage of 25,000 U. every 2 hrs. for a total of 2,100,000 U. Cultures continued positive in all cases thus treated. These patients, as well as others to a total of 31, were then treated with lozenges containing 500-1000 U. of penicillin each. These were prepd. with gelatin and glycerine or with agar and glycerine and required approx. 1/2 hr. to dissolve in the mouth. They were given every hr. for 12 doses daily. 23 (74%) of the patients treated in this way cleared promptly. 8 cases whose throats did not clear then had their tonsils removed, following which 7 showed negative throat cultures. The remaining case was treated with a nasal spray in addition to the lozenges and cleared in a few days.

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