STREPTOMYCIN TOXICITY: Reactions to Highly Purified Drug on Long-Continued Administration to Human Subjects

It is probable that the principal value of streptomycin will be in the treatment of subacute and chronic infections, notably tuberculosis, in which it will be necessary to administer the drug for long periods. Evaluation of the chronic toxicity of the material for human beings is thus appreciably more important than is the case with sulfonamide compounds or penicillin. The effects of the short term administration of preparations of impure streptomycin to human subjects have been studied both by a number of independent investigators and in a cooperative study under the auspices of the National Research Council. 1 The only observations on long-continued administration of impure streptomycin are those presented in a preliminary report by Hinshaw and Feldman. 2 In their study an average daily dose of 1.5 Gm. of the drug was administered for periods of several or more months. In all the reports there is agreement that in