76 VACCINE AND SERUM THERAPY. 



to the use of streptococcus vaccines in cases in which the same 

 results might have been obtained without them. In 1907, the 

 author treated 3 7 patients suffering with erysipelas by injections of 

 killed cultures of streptococci isolated from the lesions of ery- 

 sipelas. From the results obtained it was impossible to determine 

 the value of the injection of the killed cultures of streptococci. 

 While the injection of from twenty-five million to one hundred 

 million streptococci did not prevent migration and recurrence, 

 the apparent shortening of the duration of the disease suggests 

 that streptococcus vaccines are of some value. The effect upon 

 the duration of the disease w^as found to be uncertain because, 

 during the time of the investigation, no suitable cases remained 

 untreated with which comparison could be made. It is known that 

 the duration of the disease varies in different years. Ross and 

 Johnson have recently reported on the treatment of erysipelas 

 with a vaccine made from streptococcus erysipelatos, and conclude 

 that such vaccine exercises a specific and controlling influence on 

 the course of the disease. These investigators make initial injec- 

 tions of from ten to twenty million killed streptococci, and repeat 

 these injections every day or two according to the clinical results 

 obtained. Criticism of the results obtained is not possible because 

 of the meagre reports of the cases treated by these investigators. 



Wright and others have reported successful treatment of 

 streptococcus septicaemia by the injection of streptococcus vac- 

 cine. It must, however, be remembered that streptococcus septi- 

 caemia is at times recovered from even when no specific treatment 

 is given. 



In streptococcus immunization autogenous vaccines have 

 usually been preferred, though Gabritschewsky and others have 

 gotten good results with stock vaccines. 



Gonococcus Infections. Probably the best results of the use 

 of gonococcus vaccines have been obtained in cases of gonorrhceal 

 arthritis. Cole and Meakins obtained encouraging results in 

 about twenty cases of acute and chronic gonorrhceal arthritides 

 when treated by injections of stock vaccines of Mic.gonorrhoeae. 

 These investigators treated their cases according to the opsonin 

 content of the blood as determined by the opsonic index, but 

 feel that probably as good results might have been obtained had 

 the injection been given every ten days, which was about the 



