Stibophen in the Elimination of Worms

To the Editor:—  The potential toxicity of stibophen is well known and all who use it should be aware of the side effects and know which of them are significant. For example, aching of muscles and joints occurs universally not only with stibophen but also with all other antimony drugs administered parenterally. There is no association between these symptoms and clinical or biochemical signs of intoxication, and their occurrence would not justify discontinuance of medication; otherwise no patient would receive a drug in amounts which even approach halfway the desired curative amounts indicated. Cure rates in the range of 96% to 100% are known to occur after the judicious use of adequate amounts of stibophen, antimony and potassium tartrate, and antimony dimercaptosuccinate in Schistosoma haematobium and S mansoni infections. Less effective results are usually associated with intermittent administration of suboptimal doses. Severe toxic reactions, excepting unpredictable hypersensitive-type reactions, usually do