INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Abstract

ANTIBIOTICS NUMEROUS substances widely used at present are penicillin, streptomycin, neomycin, terramycin, chloramphenicol (chloromycetin®), polymyxin (aerosporin®) and bacitracin. Thus far, several newly discovered ones have not extended the range of antibacterial effect greatly. Bacillomycin, prodigiosin¹ and fracidin² are antifungal but have had little or no clinical trial. No effective antiviral agents have been discovered. With the introduction of each new antibiotic agent discrimination must be made between its possible actual superior value and its commercial expediency. It is surprising that, up to now, no commercial interests have exploited the possibility of preparing a combination of antibiotics designed to cure all infectious diseases without the need for bothering with diagnoses. One could even propose a name for it—multimycetin. Perhaps one deterrent is the different routes of administration appropriate for the various antibiotics. Another reason may rest on a demonstration of antagonism between penicillin and chloramphenicol, as measured by their