570 ABSTRACTS 



with the special object of determining whether this reaction was spe- 

 cific. The leucocytosis which McWilhams obtained in immune rab- 

 bits was no greater than that which normal rabbits showed and the 

 typhoid immune rabbits reacted as strongly to colon as to typhoid 

 bacilh.— J. G. H. 



Specific Therapy in Certain Acute Infectious Diseases. F. J. Dever. 



(New York Med. Jour., 1916, 103, 972-975.) 



Treatment of infectious diseases by their specific immune sera holds 

 more promise of success than an active immunization with either plain 

 or sensitised vaccines. This is due to the fact that the active immunity 

 obtained by vaccines is produced relatively slowly and is of questionable 

 value in an acute infection, while a specific serum, on the other hand, 

 supphes antibodies without putting any added strain upon the body 

 cells.— M. W. C. 



Intravenous Serohacterin Therapeutics. W. E. Robertson. (New York 



Med. Journ., 1916, 103, 777-780.) 



In acute infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever and pneumonia 

 serobacterins, when administered intravenously, shorten the incuba- 

 tion period, and produce a particularly striking change in the blood 

 picture, the most noticeable feature of which is a pronounced leucocyto- 

 sis. 



In local and chronic diseases the value of the intravenous use of 

 serobacterins, as compared with other bacterins, has not as yet been 

 tested.— M. W. C. 



The Value of Autoserum Injections in Skin Diseases. W. S. Gottheil. 



(New York Med. Jour., 1916, 103, 1209-1211.) 



Autoserum treatment in skin diseases does not itself effect a cure, but 

 used in conjunction with local treatment it shortens the period of dis- 

 ease from weeks to days and lessens the probability of relapse. 



Autoserum treatment is particularly useful in psoriasis. It is of fre- 

 quent benefit in chronic urticaria, neurodermatitis, pruritus senilis and 

 other itchy dermatoses; of some value in pustular acne and chronic 

 eczema; and of no use in furunculosis, folliculitis, and other pus infec- 

 tions as well as pemphigus, lepra, lichen planus and syphiHs. — M. W. C. 



Autosensitized Vaccines. M. G. Wohl. (Medical Record, 1916, 89, 



770-772.) 



Serobacterins which are sensitised with the patient's serum are more 

 efficient than vaccines sensitised with a heterologous serum. This is 

 due to the fact that the antibodies in the sera of the lower animals are 

 not identical with those of human serum, and therefore cannot act as 

 efi'ectively as those found in the patient's serum. 



An additional reason why autosensitised vaccines are superior is 

 that the bacteria do not need to be freed from the immune serum by 

 washing, but may be injected with the serum used in sensitising. — M. 

 W. C. 



