EFFECTS OF CORTISONE ACETATE AND PITUITARY ACTH ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATIC FEVER AND CERTAIN OTHER CONDITIONS

PATIENTS with rheumatoid arthritis, acute rheumatic fever, certain other diseases with articular complications and certain nonrheumatic diseases have been improved markedly and promptly, but usually temporarily, by intramuscular injections of cortisone or ACTH. Cortisone is the hormone of the adrenal cortex previously known as compound E (17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone). ACTH is the pituitary adrenal corticotropic hormone which stimulates responsive adrenal glands to produce cortisone or a cortisone-like steroid such as compound F. Our preliminary results have been reported.¹Herein are presented further experiences with these hormones. Because they are still scarce and because our experience with them is still limited, this report, like our preceding one, is presented as a study in clinical physiology and not as a report on clinical therapeutics.

STUDIES WHICH LED TO OUR USE OF THESE HORMONES

In 1925 the weakness, fatigue and low blood pressure common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (which we then called "chronic