Modern Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis

Since streptomycin became generally available in 1947, changes in the treatment of tuberculosis have come at an accelerated pace. This monograph summarizes the present status for the physician who wants to apply the new modalities of therapy. It discusses the three principal drugs (streptomycin, p-aminosalicylic acid, and isoniazid) in the treatment of tuberculosis from the standpoint of dosage and duration of therapy, with an important section on mode of action and pharmacology. The principal secondary drugs are similarly but more briefly discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of single-drug and multiple-drug treatment are outlined. The net result is a perspective on the therapy of tuberculosis as a whole. With so chronic a disease as tuberculosis the final determination of the result of a particular form of treatment must wait for many years. In the meantime, decisions must be made on the best evidence available. The monograph indicates where information is