Sir.—Robert J. Joynt made a significant contribution to the Journal in his excellent article that appeared in the September issue (128:362, 1974). His statement that "It is also unusual that a drug with this life span is still used" is correct, but unfortunately in most centers in this country, bromides, the oldest of the antiepileptic drugs, have been largely outmoded by the organic anticonvulsants.
The purpose of this letter is to call attention to the fact that bromides still have a definite place in the treatment of epilepsy in infants and prepubertal children. Bromides should always be given a fair trial in treating major motor epilepsy (grand mal) after maximal tolerated doses of the standard antiepileptic drugs (phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, primidone, etc) have failed. Bromides have been found especially useful in the treatment of grand mal seizures associated with organic brain lesions and of some value in the treatment of