Arylthiol and dithiobisarylamide antibacterial and antiviral agents have the general formula ##STR1## where A is monocyclic or bicyclic aryl which can contain up to 3 heteroatoms selected from O, S, and N, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are substituent groups, X is ##STR2## or SO.sub.2 NR.sup.4 Z, Y is H or SZ when n is 1, a single bond when n is 2; R.sup.4 and Z can be hydrogen or alkyl.