AUREOMYCIN IN INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS

Infectious mononucleosis is a disease of unknown causation, suspected of being virus in origin, for which no satisfactory treatment exists at present. The observation that aureomycin may be an effective therapeutic agent in certain diseases presumed to be of virus origin (primary atypical pneumonia and psittacosis) prompted a study of its effects in infectious mononucleosis. An epidemic of this disease in the north suburbs of Chicago during the winter of 1948-1949 afforded an opportunity for a controlled study. All cases were seen in the private practice of one of us (M. H. S.). Preliminary diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical observations, i. e., fever, lymphoid swelling and inflammation of the nasopharynx, swelling of lymph nodes, headache, pain in the neck and fatigue. The diagnosis was tentatively confirmed by the finding of characteristic atypical lymphocytes in the stained blood smear. On the first visit all patients were thoroughly examined;