664 THE BACTERIOPHAGE AND ITS BEHAVIOR 



I prepared two suspensions, both derived through the bacteriophagy 

 of a single strain of Staphylococcus alhus. One suspension was obtained 

 by means of a univirulent race of the bacteriophage active for this one 

 strain only, while the other suspension was the result of the action of 

 the poly virulent race of Gratia. 



Two patients having a recurrent furunculosis received two injections, 

 with a 48 hour interval, of the suspension made with the univirulent 

 race. No improvement resulted in either case. Three weeks later 

 in one case, 40 days in the other, a single injection of the suspension 

 made with the polyvirulent race led to recovery. Nevertheless, in 

 the two suspensions there was the dissolved substances of the same 

 staphylococcus, the strain of Staphylococcus albus which was suscep- 

 tible to the univirulent race. 



And finally, a last fact may be presented. Perhaps this is the most 

 clear-cut of all, for it shows how fundamental is the difference between 

 a "vaccine" and a suspension of the bacteriophage. The repeated 

 injection of laboratory animals with the first, as we know, causes an 

 immunity, — entirely artificial it is true, — but which is, at least, entirely 

 different from the state of antiphylaxis resulting from the repeated 

 injection of a bacteriophage suspension. As a matter of fact, this single 

 difference, all by itself, shows that the treatment by the bacteriophage,— 

 "phago therapy," as it might be termed, — bears no relationship to vac- 

 cine therapy. 



6. BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY OF INFECTED WOUNDS 



In the work of McKinley^^" we discover a new field for the applica- 

 tion of bacteriophagic therapy, — the treatment of infected wounds. 



The suspensions of the bacteriophage which he used were prepared in 

 the following manner. After isolating a race of the bacteriophage and 

 increasing its virulence to such a point that a bacteriophaged suspension 

 spread on agar gave no colonies, he added to 30 to 50 cc. of the sus- 

 pension 1 cc. of a 24 hour culture of the susceptible bacterium. After 

 bacteriophagy he added a further 2 cc. of a fresh 24 hour culture, and 

 when bacteriophagy was again ended he made a third addition of 3 

 cc. of culture, then, after dissolution, a fourth addition of 4 cc, and 

 finally, a fifth of 5 cc. When, after this final addition of cocci, bacteri- 

 ophagy was completed, he filtered the suspension through a candle. This 

 filtrate was used in his therapeutic work.* 



* The method of preparation as previously described, — complete bacterio- 

 phagy of a bacterial suspension containing about 250 million organisms per cubic 



