SULFAPYRIDINE IN EXPERIMENTAL PNEUMOCOCCIC PNEUMONIA IN THE DOG 1

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Abstract
In the dog, a species with natural antipneumococcic resistance comparable to that of man, sulfapyridine exerted a marked curative effect in a highly fatal Type I pneumococcic pneumonia. The pulmonary lesion seldom spread after the 24th hour of treatment but it was not immediately arrested. Administration of sulfa-pyridine before infection did not prevent the evolution of a fully developed lobar pneumonia. Most of the animals had fever for at least 24 hours after the beginning of treatment. Treatment inhibited blood-stream invasion. Bac-teremia already established disappeared within 24 hours or the colony count fell sharply. Influence of the drug was evident even in advanced stages of the disease but its effectiveness was limited in the presence of suppurative complications. During treatment the serum exhibited increased pneumococcidal-promoting action in serum-leukocyte mixtures or regained that property when it had disappeared. Pneumococci obtained from lungs, blood and pyemic exudate showed no alteration of the capsules. Treatment was followed by hemolytic anemia in 2 instances. As far as could be determined in this study the drug acts only as a bacteriostatic agent, enabling the natural defense mechanism of the animal to overcome the infection.