368 ABSTRACTS 



of 2 and 16 years show that from 17 to 32 per cent give a positive 

 reaction and are therefore probably susceptible to the disease. 



R. M. T. 



Preliminary Notes on Skin Reactions Excited hy Various Bacterial 



Proteins in Certain Vasomotor Disturbances of the Upper Air Passages. 



J. L. GooDALE. (Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., 174, 223-226.) 



G. finds that many patients who suffer from perennial vasomotor 



disturbances of the nasal mucous membrane give a positive anaphylactic 



skin reaction to extracts of certain bacteria that are commonly found 



in vasomotor rhinitis. Among these are Staphylococcus albus, aureus 



and citreus, Micrococcus tetragenus and an unidentified bacillus somewhat 



like Friedlaender's bacillus. — E. C. L. M. 



Pollen Therapy in Pollinosis. S. Oppenheimer and M. J. Gottlieb. 



(Medical Record, 1916, 89, 505-508.) 



Hay fever, or pollinosis, is caused in persons having a predisposition 

 to anaphylactic diseases, by irritation of any denuded surface of the 

 body by proteins of pollen. One or more of a large variety of pollens 

 may be responsible for an attack of pollinosis in a susceptible individual. 



The method most frequently employed for determining which pollen 

 or pollens are operative in a given case is the skin scarification or cutane- 

 ous method. Complement fixation tests may also be made both as 

 an aid in diagnosis and as an indicator of immunity. 



Infections, caused by streptococci, pneumococci, etc., are often 

 complicating factors in pollinosis. In such cases an autogenous vac- 

 cine should be administered in conjunction with the specific pollen 

 antigen. 



Treatment of pollinosis proper may consist either of active immuniza- 

 tion with pollen extract or passive immunization with the blood serum 

 of animals that have been actively immunized with pollen extract. 



The results obtained with treatment with pollen extract, in cases 

 of spring pollinosis show 50 per cent of seasonal cures for 1913-1914, 

 while of 32 cases treated in 1915 before the time of attack, only two 

 had symptoms. 



Of 62 cases treated for fall pollinosis 52 began treatment early enough 

 to acquire an active immunity before the usual time of attack. Of these, 

 15 were free from symptoms, 2.5 were markedly improved, and 12 were 

 in no way afi"ected by the treatment. Of the 10 cases that did not 

 begin treatment until after the onset of the attack, 4 were favorably 

 mfluenced by one or two injections. 



The authors caution against using "hay fever" vaccines which con- 

 tain a mixture of a large number of pollen extracts, as patients should 

 receive extracts of only those pollens which have been shown by diag- 

 nostic means to be operative. Care should be taken in the dosage of 

 pollen extracts, as in large doses they are extremely dangerous. 



M. W. C. 



