INTRAOCULAR PENETRATION OF STREPTOMYCIN FOLLOWING SYSTEMIC AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

Waksman and his associates have isolated two apparently related substances, streptothricin¹ and streptomycin,² from the genus Streptomyces which are more bacteriostatic or bactericidal for gram-negative bacilli than is penicillin. Of the two, streptomycin has been shown to be less toxic and to possess greater action against certain gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in vivo³. Streptomycin has been demonstrated to be beneficial in treatment of experimental infections due to Proteus vulgaris⁴, Pasteurella tularenis,⁵ Mycobacterium tuberculosis⁶ and organisms of the Friedländer group⁷ in animals. Recently streptomycin was shown to have possible benefit in cases of typhoid infection in man.⁸ Zintel and his co-workers⁹ have shown that the concentration of streptomycin in the blood following a single intravenous injection is better maintained than that of penicillin. Detectable amounts were usually present six hours after intramuscular administration, as compared with two to three hours in the