Attempted Cleansing of Tuberculous Cavity by Inhalation of Vapor of Methylmetacrylate

Abstract

Vaporizing organic compounds (28 organic solvents and 20 monomers of polymerizing substances) were examined to determine the tuberculostatic and tuberculocidal power of their vapors in vitro. The toxicity of several substances in gaseous states which were found to be strongly tuberculostatic were examined, and we recognized that generally strongly bacteriostatic agents were also highly toxic to animals. Methyl-and ethylmetacrylate are moderately strong tuberculostatic agents and have very low toxicity for animals. Therefore, methylmetacrylate was investigated in detail. Clinical results in 74 patients are described. 17.2% of patients showed sputum conversion and 50.9% marked decrease of dischanged bacilli after 3 to several months of treatment. Haemoptysis of slight degree was seen in 10% of our patients. We assume that the cleansing of cavities may be accelerated by this treatment, and the bacteriostatic action and the stimulating action of the vapor on cavity walls may be responsible for the clinical effect.