A New Sulpha Compound ("6257") and its Use in Human Cholera Infection

Abstract

IT was observed by one of us (S. S. B.) in 1939 that hexa-methylene-tetra-amine, in a 10 per cent solution in normal saline, killed cholera vibrio in less than half an hour up to a concentration of 10¹². Although interrupted by conditions of field service, efforts resulted in the production of three crude compounds of hexamine linkage to para-aminobenzene sulphonamide, experiments with which, on animal and human cholera infection, gave hope of successful chemotherapy against Asiatic cholera. A chance discussion with the scientific department of C.I.B.A. (Basle) resulted in our obtaining a condensation product—"6257"—of two molecules of 2 p-amino-benzene sulphonamido-thiazole (‘Cibazol') and three molecules of formaldehyde with the formula C₂₁H₂₂O₆N₆S₄ (the actual constitution not having yet been worked out) and molar weight much greater than that of any other sulpha compound so far employed in clinical therapy.