Toxic Products 741 



were obtained in tuberculosis of the bones and glands, and 

 the method is recommended chiefly for the diagnosis of 

 tuberculosis during the first year of life. This method of 

 testing is called the dermotuberculin reaction. 



A modification of this method by Lignieres* is called by 

 him the cutituberculin reaction. Lignieres soaps and shaves 

 the skin with a safety razor, avoiding scarification, but 

 removing the superficial epidermal cells by scraping, and 

 then applies 6 large drops of undiluted tuberculin, rubbing 

 the reagent in with a pledget of cotton. The reaction 

 obtained is purely local and without fever. 



Morrof has improved upon von Pirquet's method by using 

 the tuberculin in the form of a 50 per cent, ointment made by 

 mixing equal parts of "old tuberculin" and lanolin, which is 

 rubbed into the skin without previous scarification. 



HissJ says that "it is more simple and equally efficient 

 to massage into the skin a drop of undiluted ' old tuberculin.' " 

 Calmette suggested the " ophthalmo-tuberculin reaction," 

 which consists of dropping i drop of a solution of prepared 

 tuberculin into the eye of the suspect. If no tuberculosis ex- 

 ists, no reaction follows, but if the patient be infected with 

 tuberculosis, the eye becomes reddened in a few hours and 

 soon shows all of the appearances of a more or less pronounced 

 acute mucopurulent inflammation of the conjunctiva. This 

 attains its maximum in six or seven hours, and entirely 

 recovers in three days. It usually causes the patient very 

 little discomfort, but a number of patients have been un- 

 fortunate enough to suffer from supervening corneal ulcera- 

 tion and other destructive lesions of the eye, so that the 

 test is now rarely used, having been superseded by the dermal 

 methods. 



The method of preparing the solution employed by Cal- 

 mette is to precipitate the tuberculin with alcohol, dry the 

 precipitate, and dissolve it in 100 parts of distilled water. 

 One or two drops may be used. Ordinary tuberculin must 

 be avoided, as the glycerin it contains causes too much 

 irritation and masks the reaction. 



Priority in regard to the theoretic aspects of these 



* "Centralbl. f. Bakt. u. Parasitenk.," orig., XLVI, Hft. 4, March 10, 

 1908, p. 373. 



t "Munch, med. Wochenschrift," 1906, p. 216. 

 % "Text-book of Bacteriology," 1910, p. 489. 

 "La Presse Medicale," June 19, 1907. 



