A STUDY OF THE HISTOLOGIC CHANGES PRODUCED EXPERIMENTALLY IN RABBITS BY ARSPHENAMIN

Abstract

The fatalities among persons following the administration of arsphenamin and neo-arsphenamin in the treatment of syphilis, have been mainly attributed to the toxicity of the drugs and to technical errors in administration referable to the preparation of the solution and manner of injection. The results of studies of the gross and histologictissue changes have usually shown the presence of some form of acute nephritis and degenerative changes in the liver as the most prominent lesions. In Europe an acute hemorrhagic and "serous" meningitis or, rather, an acute meningeal congestion, has been commonly described, whereas in America few or no changes in the membranes and substances of the brain and cord have been found. Under these circumstances, however, only limited information can be gained regarding the tissue changes ascribable to the solutions of the drugs because of pathologic changes in the organs and tissues due to syphilis, for which the majority