Experimental Clostridium Welchii Infection: IV. Penicillin Therapy

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Abstract
Local penicillin therapy in C. welchii infection produced by intramusc. infection of mice has been investigated. The results obtained in over 1,100 penicillin treated animals have been compared with those obtained in simultaneous expts. with other chemotherapeutic agents. A small series of guinea pigs (20) confirmed the results obtained with penicillin in mice. Penicillin was of definite therapeutic value and decidedly superior to the other agents thus far investigated. The smallest dose of penicillin tried (5 Oxford units) protected as well as the largest dose of the most effective sulfonamide. Larger doses or repeated injns. of small doses of penicillin protected 100% of the animals. Continued therapy gave better protection and resulted in smaller lesions at the site of inoculation than single doses of drug; e.g., 7 injections of 25 units each (total 175 units) protected 96% of the animals, while 1 injn. of 500 units protected 98%. Local administration of the drug was advantageous particularly when small doses of drug were used. With larger doses, however, the drug reaching the lesions via the blood stream was equally effective. Delayed institution of therapy was less hazardous with penicillin than with sulfonamides, but the % survival was appreciably lowered by a delay of 3 hrs. When treated animals died, the average period of survival was longer than after sulfonamide therapy. As compared with the other agents tested, penicillin was much more effective in localizing the infectious agent, in minimizing the effects of toxemia and tissue damage, and in accelerating repair. The lesions at the site of inoculation healed within 10-18 days, as compared with 22-36 days with sulfonamides. There is still need, however, for additional therapy which will prevent initial rapid invasion by the microorganism with the production of early edema and late destructive lesions. It is obvious that no chemotherapeutic agent, nor combination of agents, will prove as effective alone as when combined with adequate surgical procedures.