Symposium on the treatment of human amoebiasis II. The treatment of intestinal amoebiasis with emetine bismuth iodide, glaucarubin, dichloroacet-hydroxy-methylanilide, camoform and various antibiotics

Abstract

At the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, 417 patients suffering from intestinal amoebiasis have been treated and followed up under standard conditions. Emetine bismuth iodide was given in doses of 3 grains nightly for 10 nights to 220 patients. In 24 with E. histolytica trophozoites in the stool, this was preceded by 1 grain emetine by injection on 3 successive days. Of all these patients, 3 per cent. are known to have relapsed. The relapse rates :following treatment with chloramphenicol and aureomycin was so high that after short trials it was considered unjustifiable to continue the drugs. Of 14 patients followed up after treatment with oxytetracycline, two relapsed. Of 27 patients whose stools had contained E. histolytica cysts and who were followed up after treatment with fumagillin, one relapsed.Many toxic effects including dermatitis and albuminuria were encountered. Glaucarubin in doses of more than 4 mg. per kg. body weight was followed by a relapse rate of 12 per cent. among patients whose stools contained either E. histolytica cysts or trophozoites. A similar relapse rate followed the use of doses of 12 mg. or more dichloroacethydroxy-methylanilide in persons whose stools had contained E. histolytica cysts. It is concluded that emetine bismuth iodide is the most satisfactory drug at present available for the treatment of intestinal amoebiasis.