BECAUSE of the rapid development of new clinically-useful antibacterial agents, we have undertaken a series of controlled studies on patients with bacterial infections of the meninges in order to determine which drug or combination of drugs will give optimal results with minimal toxicity, annoyances, and difficulty in the treatment of meningitis caused by various agents. Results in patients treated for Pneumococcus,1 Bacillus influenzae,2 and Meningococcus3 meningitis have been reported previously.
However, the cataloguing of treatment of these three conditions leaves an incomplete picture unless one considers several other pertinent problems.
First, there is a significant group of patients in whom the etiologic agent is other than one of the above-named organisms, and the incidence and response to treatment of these "unusual" infections must be weighed in the over-all planning.
Second, the choice of an agent in patients in whom the diagnosis is established by immediate bacteriologic examination