Hydroxystilbamidine in the Treatment of Indian Kala-Azar *A lengthy protocol containing a summary of clinical notes of the 42 cases treated and accompanying this paper has been omitted to save space.—Editor, I.M.G.

Hydroxystilbamidine or 4 : 4'-diamidino 2-hydroxy-stilbene di-jS-hydroxy-ethane sulphonate was first used by the writer for the treatment of kala-azar in 1948 and 1949 and a paper based on the results of treatment of the first six cases published (Sen Gupta, 1949). All the six cases treated had recovered and had remained free from all symptoms of kala-azar for 5, 5, 5, 4}2-, 34, and 3 months respectively after treatment. Though the results obtained showed that the drug possessed considerable anti-kala-azar activity, it was pointed out in the above communication (Sen Gupta, loc. cit.) that further trials were necessary for the proper assessment of the therapeutic activity of the drug. The writer has now been able to complete the clinical trials of hydroxystilbamidine in a series of 42 cases of kala-azar (including the first six cases) and a case of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. The results of this therapeutic trial are presented in this paper and the findings are discussed with a view to estimating the value of hydroxystilbamidine as an antikala-azar drug and to determine its average curative dose.