ABSTRACT
Gold thioglucose--one of the gold drugs still in use today--was first tested for the treatment of tuberculosis by Feldt in 1917. Though at the present time gold compounds are used almost exclusively against arthritis and related conditions, the authors will also briefly consider their effects in altering the progression of other diseases. In what follows, a greater emphasis will be laid on the use of gold complexes against arthritic diseases. Although the nongold phosphine compounds gave no protection, comparative studies indicated that the nature of the phosphine ligand in the gold complexes played a greater role in bringing about changes in biological activity than did the other group bonded directly to Au. It is established that an effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gold drugs results in some degree of clinical toxicity whose severity and extent varies depending upon the mode of administration, rate of elimination of gold from the body, and other factors.
