62 



THE TUBERCULIN THERAPY. 



treatment 



ning, 



cases 



the treatment should be undertaken very carefully and the pulse constantly 



kept as guide. Slowness of pulse can, as a 

 rule, be considered a signum bonum. 



Especially favorable for the tuberculin 

 are the individuals with a begin- 

 localized pulmonary tuberculosis, or 

 of lupus, and renal tuberculosis, as 

 reported by Lenhartz. The presence of fever 

 leads some to consider such application as 

 contraindicated. This is indeed incorrect, as 

 frequently it is observed that a chronic fever 

 entirely disappears during a course of treat- 

 ment, and very often remains away. Even 

 if the fever continues, a good result in the 

 general condition of the patient is neverthe- 

 less obtained. (Chart 3.) 



Patient H. Ninteen years old with distinct tuber- 

 culous habitus, on admission to the medical service, 

 presented a marked infiltration and catarrh of two- 

 thirds of the right lung with a cavity in the upper 

 lobe; infiltration of the left lobe and a great number 

 of tubercle bacilli in the sputum; marked weakness 

 and continuous fever. In five weeks the patient had 

 gained n kg. in weight; 8 kg. in one week. 



Simultaneously his general condition improved 

 very much; the night sweats disappeared, and the 

 cough diminished, but the number of bacilli still re- 

 mained the same, and the physical signs of the lungs 

 unaltered. Subsequently the patient received treat- 

 ment also with B.E., with the consequence that the 

 temperature finally subsided, the cough and sputum 

 likewise, and the bacilli became few and at times 

 entirely absent for several days in succession. In 

 fact, the general condition became excellent. Objec- 

 tively, there was no demonstration of catarrh al 

 affection. 



In this connection it might be noted that 

 such a remarkable increase in weight in so 

 short a time is by no means the rule, although 

 good effects are observed in many cases. 



Naturally the medical treatment should 

 not be limited to the tuberculin therapy. If 

 even in the immunization of healthy animals, 

 attention is paid to their housing and feeding, 

 how much more imperative is this considera- 

 tion when applied to sick human individuals. 



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