Guy Henry Faget
Encyclopedia
Guy Henry Faget was an American doctor
who revolutionalized the treatment of leprosy
by demonstrating the efficacy of promin
, in a paper reported in 1943. Promin is a sulfone
compound synthesized by Feldman and his co-workers in 1940 as an agent against tuberculosis
effective in experimental animals. He was the grandson of Jean Charles Faget
, and father of Maxime Faget
.
at Carville, Louisiana
, United States of America. He was a member
of the International Leprosy Association (ILA) and a consultant to the Advisory Medical Board of LWM. He died in a fall after having heart disease
in 1947.
, New Orleans, and read a paper. In this paper he described the present situation of leprosy in the United States, and the National Leprosarium at Carville with photographs. He hinted important progress would be made in the near future.
and urine
are examined frequently. Among 22 cases, effective in 15 cases (68%), unchanged in 6 cases (27%), worsened in 1 case(5%), and bacilli
became negative in 5 cases (23%). In addition, they did control studies, which produced significant changes, between the promin group and the control group. Impressive photographs were included in the paper.
in 1958 and at the centennial celebration of the Hansen's Disease Center at Carville in 1994.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who revolutionalized the treatment of leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
by demonstrating the efficacy of promin
Promin
Promin, or sodium glucosulfone is a sulfone drug that was investigated for the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy. It is broken down in the body to dapsone, which is the therapeutic form.-History:...
, in a paper reported in 1943. Promin is a sulfone
Sulfone
A sulfone is a chemical compound containing a sulfonyl functional group attached to two carbon atoms. The central hexavalent sulfur atom is double bonded to each of two oxygen atoms and has a single bond to each of two carbon atoms, usually in two separate hydrocarbon substituents.-IUPAC name and...
compound synthesized by Feldman and his co-workers in 1940 as an agent against tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
effective in experimental animals. He was the grandson of Jean Charles Faget
Jean Charles Faget
Jean Charles Faget was a physician born on June 26, 1818 in New Orleans. He is best known for the Faget sign—a medical sign that is the unusual combination of fever and bradycardia. The sign is an important diagnostic symptom of yellow fever.-Personal life:...
, and father of Maxime Faget
Maxime Faget
Maxime "Max" A. Faget was the designer of the Mercury capsule, and contributed to the later Gemini and Apollo spacecraft as well as the Space Shuttle.- Life :...
.
Life
For 25 years he was a distinguished officer of the US Public Health Service. In 1940 he became the director of the United States Marine Hospital (National Leprosarium)National Hansen's Disease Museum
The National Hansen's Disease Museum is a historical museum in Carville, Louisiana at the site of a former sugar plantation and was once home of the Carville National Leprosarium.-History:...
at Carville, Louisiana
Carville, Louisiana
Carville is a neighborhood of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States that is 16 miles south of Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. Carville is the hometown of political personality James Carville and was named after his grandfather, the postmaster. It is also the location of...
, United States of America. He was a member
of the International Leprosy Association (ILA) and a consultant to the Advisory Medical Board of LWM. He died in a fall after having heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
in 1947.
Leprosy in the United States
On May 7 to 9,1942, he was invited to the 44th Annual Meeting of the Medical Library AssociationMedical Library Association
The Medical Library Association is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.- History :...
, New Orleans, and read a paper. In this paper he described the present situation of leprosy in the United States, and the National Leprosarium at Carville with photographs. He hinted important progress would be made in the near future.
Sulfanilamide in the Treatment of Leprosy
This is the paper written immediately before the promin paper. Toxic effects of this drug were considerable, but among 20 cases, it was effective in 6, and another 2 were also effective but on their road to improvement. One case remained unchanged and 10 cases progressed. In its conclusions, they clearly wrote that sulfanilamide cannot be regarded as a curative agent for leprous lesions, either of the macular or lepromatous type.The Promin Treatment of Leprosy
Side effects of promin were carefully evaluated, and were concluded to be safely administered, provided bloodBlood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
and urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
are examined frequently. Among 22 cases, effective in 15 cases (68%), unchanged in 6 cases (27%), worsened in 1 case(5%), and bacilli
Bacillus
Bacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria and a member of the division Firmicutes. Bacillus species can be obligate aerobes or facultative anaerobes, and test positive for the enzyme catalase. Ubiquitous in nature, Bacillus includes both free-living and pathogenic species...
became negative in 5 cases (23%). In addition, they did control studies, which produced significant changes, between the promin group and the control group. Impressive photographs were included in the paper.
- The original paper contains the following table.
Table 1 Type Number Improved Stationary Worse Bacteriologic reversion from positive to negative Mixed, far advanced 6 3 2 1 1 Mixed, moderately advanced 5 4 1 o 1 Lepromatous, far advanced 1 1 0 0 0 Lepromatous, moderately advanced 9 6 3 0 3 Neural,moderately advanced 1 1 0 0 0 Total 22 15 6 1 5
-
- "Promin can be considered to have opened a new avenue in the chemotherapyChemotherapyChemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
of the mycobacterialMycobacteriumMycobacterium is a genus of Actinobacteria, given its own family, the Mycobacteriaceae. The genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy...
diseases. It is hoped that further synthesis of sulfa compound may may produce a substance which will succeed in saving countless lives in this still dark field of medicine. "
- "Promin can be considered to have opened a new avenue in the chemotherapy
Other Papers
The following papers are based on a Japanese Book Nihon Hifuka Zensho 9,1, "Leprosy"- Faget GH, Johansen, FA: The diphtheria toxoid treatment of leprosy. Int J Lepr 10,68,1942.
- Faget GH, Pogge RC: Pooled blood plasma transfusion in the treatment of leprosy. Int J Lepr 11,32,1943.
- Faget GH, Pogge RC: Penicillin used unsuccessfully in treatment of leprosy. Int J Lepr 12,7,1944.
- Faget GH, Pogge RC, Johansen FA: Promizole in the treatment of leprosy. Pub Health Rep 61,957,1946.
- Faget GH, Pogge RC, Johansen FA:Present status of Diasone. Pub Health Rep 61,960,1946.
- Faget GH, Pogge RC, Johansen FA,Fite GL, Prejean BM, Gemar F: Present status of promin treatment in leprosy. Int J Lepr 14,30,1946.
- Faget GH, Erickson PT: Use of streptomycin in the treatment of leprosy. Int J Lepr 15,146,1947.
- Faget GH:Chemotherapy of leprosy. Int J Lepr 15,7,1947.
- Faget GH, Erickson PT: Chemotherapy of leprosy. JAMA 136,451,1948.
A Message from Faget
This is a message of Faget to leprosy patients which was printed in the Christmas number of the 1941 Star, and therefore is considered to directly address patients for participation in the promin trial.Honors
His discovery paved the way to the complete recovery of leprosy, and many effective chemotherapeutic agents followed. He was honored postmortem at the 7th International Congress of Leprology in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1958 and at the centennial celebration of the Hansen's Disease Center at Carville in 1994.
