Penicillin: Its antibacterial effect in whole blood and serum for the hemolytic streptococcus and Stapkylococcus aureus

The value of sulfanomide therapy in hemolytic streptococcal infections is now well established. In most instances, staphylococcal infections are much more resistant. In previous communica-tions (1 to 3), it has been demonstrated that by the addition of the sulfonamide compounds to whole defibrinated blood in vitro or by their ad-ministration to normal subjects, an increase in antistreptococcal and antistaphylococcal activity of the whole blood is produced. In view of certain therapeutic results obtained with the antibiotic agent, penicillin, in the treatment of streptococcal and staphylococcal infections (4), it has seemed desirable to study the effect of penicillin on the bactericidal power of whole defibrinated blood