ANTISTREPTOCOCCUS SERUM. 289 



through animals. By this means he secures a 20-fold 

 normal serum, a " normal " serum being one of which 

 0.01 c.c. protects a mouse from 100 times the lethal dose 

 of highly virulent streptococci. Besides this the horses 

 are subsequently immunized with streptococcus cultures 

 derived from severe cases of infection in human beings 

 without passage through animals, and in this way he 

 believes it possible to overcome the objections of those 

 who regard the passage through animals as useless. 



Baginsky, Louis Fischer, Charlton, and others report 

 having obtained favorable results in the treatment of 

 cases of scarlet fever complicated with severe streptococ- 

 cus infection. After several doses of 20 c.c. of the serum 

 the fever declined steadily and continuously, with the 

 rapid disappearance of necrotic membranes in the throat, 

 and subsidence of the swelling of the glands of the 

 neck. 



Foulerton l employed the antistreptococcus serum in 

 the treatment of cases of puerperal fever. The serum 

 employed was a polyvalent one derived from a horse 

 immunized with five strains of streptococcus. He 

 states that apart from the failure of the serum treat- 

 ment in puerperal fever arising from the uncertainty as 

 to the particular strain of streptococcus which is pres- 

 ent, the question of the dose of the serum to be employed 

 is of considerable importance. He advises to com- 

 mence treatment with an injection of at least 20 c.c., 

 and if necessary this is repeated every twenty-four 

 hours. If no improvement results from two doses of 

 20 c.c. each, administered within twelve hours, it is 

 useless to persist in administering it. Large doses are 

 necessary for success. 



1 Foulertou : The Lancet, Dec. 31, 1904, 

 19 



