Abstract
Marshall and coworkers 1 have produced a new sulfa-compound, sulfanilyl-guanidine, and studied its bacteriostatic effect. The solubility of this substance in water at 37.5°C is 220 mg %, its absorption from the intestines comparatively poor. These properties make the drug particularly fit for use in intestinal infections.
In order to study the action of sulfanilyl-guanidine† on different organisms of the Salmonella group, we tested 74 types listed in the latest edition of the Kauffmann-White schema 2 and 13 types which were described since. Fifteen strains of E. coli isolated from human feces, urine and blood, 4 strains of Shigella (2 Flexner, 1 Sonne, 1 Shiga type) and a strain of Aerobacter were also tested.
For preliminary information on differences in susceptibility the agar strip method was used. Strips 1 cm wide were cut out of agar plates and filled in with a suspension of 1% sulfanilyl-guanidine in agar. The cultures were streaked out across the inlaid strips.
Of all the Salmonella organisms tested, only the typhoid bacillus (S. typhi), S. paratyphi A and S. cholerae suis showed any marked degree of inhibition. Very slight inhibitory action was noted on S. paratyphi C, S. abortus equi, S. sendai, S. gallinarum, S. muenster and S. newington.
While Aerobacter was resistant and all 4 dysentery strains were strongly inhibited, the 15 strains of E. coli showed individual differences. In Salmonella organisms, however, no marked differences between strains of the same type were noticed, when 2 strains of S. paratyphi A, 7 strains of S. cholerae suis, 6 strains of S. typhi and 10 strains each of S. paratyphi B and S. typhi murium were tested.
Test tube experiments were then carried out to determine more accurately the bacteriostatic action of sulfanilyl-guanidine on representative Salmonella types and control organisms, 30 in all.
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