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ABOUT six months ago, Eli Lilly and Company supplied me with ⅛ ounce (3.8 Gm.) tubes of penicillin ointment for trial. The ointment contained 1,000 units per gram in the form of the calcium salt and, in addition, methiolate in 1: 10,000 concentration. A caution on the label stated, "New drug—limited by federal law to investigational use. Store below 10 degrees C. (50 degrees F.)."
This paper may be considered a preliminary report of observations on 100 patients at the time the ointment was prescribed, although for some conditions which failed to respond to the penicillin other medication was indicated.
Approximately one-half the patients were treated in the eye clinic of the Jewish Hospital. The patients and their conditions may be classified as follows :
It should be stated that in cases of infected hordeolum and infected chalazion there was no attempt to incise or curet the abscess ; instead, the penicillin