THE TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS WITH SOBISMINOL MASS GIVEN BY MOUTH

The treatment of syphilis would undoubtedly be facilitated by the discovery of a bismuth preparation which is effective when taken by mouth. Proper antisyphilitic therapy, when the medication is given by injection, requires frequent visits to the physician over a long period of time. Many patients discontinue their treatment prematurely or receive it at very irregular intervals because of the inconvenience of these visits or because of the pain of intramuscular injection. If a suitable oral bismuth preparation were available the attendance could safely be reduced and the pain of intramuscular injection avoided. It would be possible to continue antisyphilitic therapy during periods when regular visits to the physician are not feasible or for patients who experience reactions to intramuscular therapy. Several bismuth preparations designed for oral administration have been tried without conspicuous success. In 1937 Hanzlik, Lehman and Richardson¹ introduced a product called sobisminol into the therapy of