Diet as a prophylactic agent against puerperal sepsis : with special reference to vitamin A as an anti-infective agent / by H.N. Green [and others].

Date:
[1931?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Diet as a prophylactic agent against puerperal sepsis : with special reference to vitamin A as an anti-infective agent / by H.N. Green [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Reprinted from the British Medical Journal, October 3rd, 1931. DIET AS A PROPHYLACTIC AGENT AGAINST PUERPERAL SEPSIS With Special Reference to Vitamin A as an Anti-infective Agent by H. N. GREEN, M.D., M.Sc., D. PINDAR, M.B., G. DAVIS, M.B., Ch.B. F.R.C.S.Ed. AND E. MELLANBY, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.S. In a previous paper (1929) on the treatment of puerperal septicaemia with preparations containing vitamin A we stated that an investigation was also being made into the possible prophylactic effect of such preparations against puerperal sepsis. We argued that if vitamin A had even a slight therapeutic effect in such a virulent infection as septicaemia it should be of much greater value as a pro¬ phylactic agent. It seemed possible that in the adminis¬ tration of vitamin A prior to labour we might have a valuable auxiliary method which would supply a missing factor so apparent in some cases even where every precaution against sepsis has been taken. Experimental work on young animals suggested that vitamin A and carotene might well be described as “ anti- infective ” in their action, because when absent from or deficient in the diet, multiple infective foci develop, result¬ ing in death unless the deficiency is made good (Green and Mellanby, 1928, 1930). The preventive and curative actions of vitamin A and carotene in the autogenous sepsis of the animals were equally great. It was obviously desir¬ able to see whether these substances played any similar part in controlling the resistance of the human body to sepsis. This seemed possible, for the septic lesions which develop autogenously in animals on a vitamin A deficient diet are also commonly found in human beings. These include septic nasal sinuses, a catarrhal condition of nose and throat and respiratory passages, middle-ear disease, [410 31]