REACTIONS DEPENDING UPON COMPLEMENT FIXATION 317 



NOGUCHI SYSTEM; SYPHILIS, PARASYPHILIS, HEREDITARY SYPHILIS, AND 

 SYPHILIS SUSPECTS 



COMPARISON OF THE WASSERMANN AND NOGUCHI SYSTEMS 



Noguchi 



The smallest percentage of positive reactions, it will be noted, 

 is obtained in syphilis of the central nervous system, excepting in 

 paresis which actually gives the largest value. It is noteworthy, 

 however, that this small percentage is only obtained when the test 

 is applied to the blood, while examination of the cerebrospinal fluid 

 will indicate the true state of affairs in the vast majority of cases. 

 This should be borne in mind when a negative result is obtained 

 with the blood in suspected cases. Some recent writers, indeed, go 

 so far as to demand a negative reaction with the cerebrospinal fluid 

 in every treated case of syphilis, before the patient is discharged 

 from treatment. This demand would seem to be justified by the 

 discovery that involvement of the central nervous system occurs 



