SPECIFIC THERAPY WITH BACTERIOPHAGE SUSPENSIONS 551 



fever within a week. They noted that the higher the virulence of the 

 bacteriophage for the bacterium causing the infection the sharper were 

 the results and the more rapid the recovery. 



Smith^^'' has employed the bacteriophage therapeutically in 7 cases. 

 In 5 he obtained a defervescence which began immediately after the 

 administration. In the other 2 no benefit resulted, in spite of the fact 

 that the bacilU from the blood, from the urine, and from the feces were 

 susceptible to the bacteriophage used. 



Richet, Azerad and Delarne^^'* have pubhshed notes on a case of a 

 patient affected with a very severe typhoid of the ataxoadynamic type, 

 which they treated by injections of bacteriophage. They state: "Im- 

 provement was apparent within 24 hours. Within 3 days the condition 

 was radically transformed. In our opinion no other therapy would have 

 caused as rapid an improvement. It appears to us to have acted as a 

 specific therapy should act." 



Philibert and Hauduroy^"^ have appUed this treatment to a number 

 of cases of typhoid fever with very variable results; the effect was 

 very definite in some cases, entirely negative in others. 



Herdershee and Wolff^"^ have treated about 100 cases without bene- 

 ficial results. 



It is worthy of note, however, that the conclusions of all of these 

 authors is, in one respect, very definite. Either improvement with the 

 tall in temperature occurs promptly after the administration of the 

 bacteriophage, or no improvement at all results. There is no inter- 

 mediate. The action is either complete or it is entirely lacking. 



We thus have available the following facts : 



The studies made on dysentery show that the condition of the patient 

 is strictly related to the virulence of the intestinal bacteriophage for 

 the pathogenic bacterium. Furthermore, the administration for 

 therapeutic purposes of a suspension of the bacteriophage virulent for 

 the pathogenic organism acts in all cases in a specific manner and causes 

 a prompt cure. 



In typhoid and the paratyphoid fevers, the situation is the same as 

 regards the condition of the patient, this is always directly related to 

 the virulence of the intestinal bacteriophage for the pathogenic bacillus. 

 But in these infections, the situation does not parallel what is observed 

 in dysentery, at least in the majority of cases the specific therapeutic 

 effect is lacking. When such an effect does occur, it takes place just 

 as in dysentery, but as a rule beneficial action does not attend the 

 treatment. 



