An analysis of the results of the treatment of yaws with a single injection of procaine penicillin with 2% aluminium monostearate.

An extensive yaws eradication campaign has been in operation in Haiti since 1950; this paper deals with material from a special clinic set up at Bainet to evaluate the results of single injections of procaine penicillin with 2% aluminium monostearate (PAM) in various dosages. Treatment results in 862 patients with darkfield-positive secondary yaws and given 600 000 units of PAM are analysed according to age and sex; according to whether the patients lapsed from observation for relatively long periods during the first post-treatment year; and, since an unsatisfactory PAM preparation was used early in the campaign, according to the preparation received. Analyses are also made of results in patients with primary yaws receiving 600 000 units of PAM and in patients with secondary yaws receiving 300 000 units or 150 000 units.It is concluded that a schedule of 600 000 units in a single injection is the treatment method of choice for mass campaigns against yaws, being highly satisfactory in both the primary and secondary stages of disease, provided the PAM preparation conforms to certain minimum standards. The authors also point out that the criteria for the re-treatment of yaws patients after penicillin therapy must be different from those ordinarily adopted with syphilis patients.