Ten years have elapsed since cortisone (Cortisone, Cortogen, Cortone) acetate was first given to a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. This occurred on Sept. 21, 1948, at the Mayo Clinic under the direction of the team composed of Drs. Hench, Kendall, Slocumb, and Polley.1 Spearheaded by the immediate spectacular changes in the symptomatology of rheumatoid arthritis, there resulted a great increase in interest in the field of rheumatic diseases, with expanded research and improved care for the arthritic patients. Also, as a result, there has been a search for better understanding of the underlying immunological and pathological states in these diseases.
This discussion concerns rheumatoid diseases which include gout, acute rheumatic fever, rheumatoid spondylitis, collagen or connective tissue diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Gout and Gouty Arthritis
Adrenal cortical steroids have been used orally in the treatment of acute attacks of gouty arthritis since 1949, with varying grades of effectiveness. In