932 ANTIBACTERIAL SERA 



ENCEPHALITIS STREPTOCOCCUS ANTISERUM 



Rosenow,^ in 1922, reported isolating a somewhat peculiar non-hemolytic strepto- 

 coccus from cases of encephalitis, and with this organism he reproduced in animals 

 typical symptoms and lesions of encephalitis. He also produced a serum by repeated- 

 ly injecting horses with these streptococci. Other investigators have cultivated strep- 

 tococci from cases of encephalitis. Notable among these is the work of Evans and 

 Freeman,^ who isolated a pleomorphic streptococcus from nasal washings, heart blood, 

 and midbrain of a case of epidemic encephalitis. At the request of Miss Evans and 

 Dr. Freeman, the authors have co-operated in the production of an encephalitis anti- 

 serum, the method of preparation being similar to that used for polyvalent anti-strep- 

 tococcic serum. The serum has been used by Dr. Freeman and distributed in limited 

 quantities to other clinicians for trial, with results that are at least encouraging. 



ERYSIPELAS STREPTOCOCCUS ANTISERUM 



Erysipelas is a streptococcus infection, the knowledge of which has recently been 

 considerably extended. Polyvalent streptococcus sera have heretofore been used in 

 the treatment of erysipelas with comparatively indifferent results. Following the 

 work of Rivers, Amoss, and Birkhaug on the specific strains of the streptococcus asso- 

 ciated with this disease, and with the knowledge that the erysipelas streptococcus 

 produces a toxin, specific anti-erysipelas sera have been prepared, special effort being 

 made to develop antitoxic as well as antibacterial properties. 



Preparation.— A number of strains isolated from erysipelas lesions are employed. The 

 whole living culture is used, the method of one of us (F. M. H.) being to start immuniza- 

 tion by intracutaneous inoculations. The doses range from i to 10 cc, the larger of which 

 sometimes causes rather extensive local reactions. These, however, subside quickly, with- 

 out the production of abscesses. Later, the horse is injected not only intracutaneously but 

 also subcutaneously. 



There is no laboratory test at present which gives a true index of the value of the serum. 

 That produced in the authors' laboratory is given a clinical test on actual cases of erysipelas. 

 In early cases the results are very striking, the first effect being the clearing up of edema and 

 a rapid fall in the albumin content of the urine. This is accompanied by a drop in the leuko- 

 cytic curve and temperature curve and the fading of the lesion. It is necessary to emphasize 

 that adequate doses must be employed to obtain therapeutic results. 



Recently one of us (F.M.H.) has succeeded in concentrating erysipelas strepto- 

 coccus antitoxin by a method which retains both antibacterial immune bodies and 

 the antitoxin in the final product. Both the unconcentrated and the concentrated 

 serum have proved of much value in the treatment of erysipelas. 



POLIOMYELITIS STREPTOCOCCUS ANTISERUM 



In 1917 Rosenow reported the production of an anti-poliomyelitis serum in horses 

 by inoculations of a pleomorphic non-hemolytic streptococcus isolated from polio- 

 myelitis cases, and came to the conclusion that the immune serum, thus prepared by 

 repeated injections of increasing doses of freshly isolated strains of the organism, had 

 curative power, especially when given in the early stage of the disease. The specificity 



' Rosenow, E. C: ibid., 79, 443. Aug. 5, 1922. 



2 Evans, A. C, and Freeman, W.: U.S. Pub. Health Rep., 41, 1095. June 4, 1926. 



