PAPERS PRESENTED AT GENERAL SESSIONS 45 



streptococcus which the}* used to make skin tests for sus- 

 ceptibility to scarlet fever. The Dick test for scarlet 

 fever appears to take its place alongside the Schick test 

 for susceptibility to diphtheria. 



The specificity of this streptococcus for scarlet fever 

 seems established. The use of serum from recent con- 

 valescents as a cure for and preventive of scarlet fever 

 was of academic, rather than practical interest. Dr. 

 Dochez used horses to make an antitoxin. His method 

 consisted in injecting agar culture media under the skin 

 of the horse and then innoculating the agar pad in the 

 subcutaneous tissue with the streptococcus. He got a 

 horse serum containing antitoxin in curative doses on a 

 practical basis. Drs. Dick injected horses with toxin 

 from their coccus. They got a horse serum containing 

 antitoxin in weak strengths. They concentrated the se- 

 rum, getting a serum which seemed curative in 10 c. c. 

 doses. Dr. Blake reported blanching of the eruption and 

 therapeutic cure of the other symptoms of scarlet fever. 

 At the present moment the therapeutic power of the Dick 

 antitoxin is being tried. 



With a method of bacteriologic diagnosis established, 

 the Dick test proven and a curative serum and preventive 

 about ready for wide clinical use, it may fairly be said 

 that the fundamental problems presented by scarlet fever 

 have been solved. 



MEASLES 



Proof accumulates that the measles organism is pres- 

 ent in the blood stream in the earlier stages of the dis- 

 ease. The blood serum of persons recently convalescent 

 from the disease produces a relatively short lived, pas- 

 sive immunity when injected subcutaneously. So many 

 confirmations of this observation have been reported that 

 we may say the fact has been established. 



The New York City health department has endeavored 

 to collect and keep on hand a stock of this immunizing 

 serum for use in situations to which it is adapted. Rec- 

 ognizing the difficulty in obtaining blood serum from hu- 

 man donors recently convalescent from measles, they 

 have been paying the donors for a serum. 



