The Effect of the Local Application of Sulfonamides upon Cerebral Tissue *

In 1940 Russell and Falconer2 reported that no appreciable damage had been sustained by the cortex or leptomeninges of the rabbit's brain when exposed for a period of four days to soluseptasine or to finely powdered sulfanilamide and sulfapyridine. The drugs were applied to the surface of the cortex and were also introduced into the subcortical tissues. A mild inflammatory reaction occurred, which in the case of the sulfanilamide and sulfapyridine included foreign-body giant cells that had enclosed particles of the drug within them. Hurteau1 excised a small portion of the cerebral cortex in cats and placed powdered sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine, and sulfathiazole on the wounds. A subsequent local meningeal leukocytic response was noted. The cautery, silver clips, and "amnion" were freely employed, but an effort was apparently made to apply them in equal amounts in the control and experimental wounds. By chemical analyses he found that sulfanilamide could not be detected after 11 days, sulfathiazole after 17 days, and sulfapyridine after 34 days. The present experiments were carried out to determine the effects of the local application of sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine, sulfathiazole, sulfaguanidine, and sulfadiazine upon the brain of monkeys (Macaca mulatta). A separate animal was used for the study of each drug. Series I. In this group the drug was placed upon the surface of the cortex. A burr hole was made in each frontal bone and the dura was carefully opened to avoid injuring the underlying piaarachnoid or brain. On one side about 15 mg. of the drug crystals were dusted upon the exposed frontal lobe cortex. The other side remained free of the drug and was used as a control. Hemostasis was obtained by the use of cotton pledgets moistened in warm saline