Three doses of inactivated hepatitis B vaccine were given at one-month intervals to Senegalese children aged less than two years. A control group received diphtheria/tetanus/polio vaccine. Of those HB vaccine recipients who were seronegative before immunisation, 94.5% had a specific anti-HBs response. Anti-HBs of maternal origin did not interfere with the active immunisation. HB vaccine was without ill-effects, irrespective of hepatitis B marker status before immunisation. After twelve months' follow-up, the incidence of the HBsAg carrier state was reduced by 85% in susceptible children (p less than 0.0001).

As part of a double-blind trial slow-release acetazolamide (500 mg daily) or placebo was given to 20 men ascending to 5000 m. In the 18 who attained this altitude, those on acetazolamide had fewer symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) than those on placebo (p < 0.02). 10 of the men had been to 5400 m on a previous expedition. 5 of these men took acetazolamide and 5 took placebo. Those on the drug performed better than those on placebo (p < 0.005). Furthermore, the performance of the 5 men on acetazolamide during the second expedition had improved more than that of the men on placebo (p < 0.01). In the group as a whole the symptoms of AMS were negatively correlated with arterial oxygen tensions (p < 0.001) which were higher in the drug group (p < 0.001). Acetazolamide probably had its effect by causing a metabolic acidosis with a resultant increase in respiratory drive and arterial oxygen tension.

Five 6-month antituberculosis regimens, allocated at random to patients with acid-fast bacilli in their sputum on microscopy, were studied. Four, given three times a week from the start, contained isoniazid and rifampicin together with (1) streptomycin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, (2) streptomycin and pyrazinamide, (3) streptomycin and ethambutol, or (4) pyrazinamide and ethambutol. The fifth was daily isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. All 833 patients with drug-sensitive strains of bacilli before treatment had a favourable bacteriological response during chemotherapy, and the bacteriological relapse rates during 12 months after stopping chemotherapy were 2% or less for all regimens except thrice-weekly isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, and ethambutol (the only regimen without pyrazinamide), which had a relapse rate of 8%. The results were equally good for the 138 patients with bacilli resistant to isoniazid, streptomycin, or both drugs initially. The incidence of potentially serious toxicity was low. The daily regimen is relevant to programmes in which patients self-administer their drugs, and the 3 pyrazinamide-containing intermittent regimens are relevant to fully supervised outpatient programmes.

60 premenopausal women were assessed before and after hysterectomy for menorrhagia or fibroids or both. Their mood, sexual functioning, and plasma oestrogens and gonadotrophins were regularly assessed for a period of up to 3 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either oestrone sulphate or placebo tablets during the trial. No evidence was found that this group of patients showed depression or sexual difficulties related to the hysterectomy. In comparison with their baseline gynaecological condition, they showed improved mood and vigour and unimpaired sexual activity.