THYROID IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 85 



served a positive reaction in 36.3 per cent of 600 cases 

 during the first week. He gives his table : 



Weeks after appearance of chancre Total cases 



1 77 



2 155 



3 158 



4 167 



5 43 



The tables of Boas and Craig cannot be compared 

 with each other as the first one counts from the moment 

 of infection; Craig, however, from the appearance of 

 an ulcer. We have seen that in some cases the Wasser- 

 mann test may even be positive before a chancre may 

 be observed. Citron (41), considers 57 days after the 

 infection the average time for generalization of the 

 syphilitic infection. As I said in the beginning, my 

 own material was very small. I observed 6 cases with 

 ulcers in which I could not detect the Spirocheta pal- 

 lida, and who developed later secondary symptoms and 

 a positive Wassermann test. Three cases became posi- 

 tive four weeks after infection; one case five weeks; 

 one case seven weeks and one case eight weeks. Other 

 cases are not quoted here, as I stopped examining when 

 13 weeks after infection the reaction was still negative. 

 Now, in a number of cases with ulcers, thyroid was 

 given by mouth, 3x50 milligrams of dried gland daily. 

 My idea was this : When the reaction of Wassermann 

 is a sign of generalization of the infection it must be 

 possible to delay this moment by increasing the resist- 

 ance of the body. Now, the previously quoted authors 

 have found that ingestion of thyroid increases this re- 

 sistance as is shown by the increase in the opsonic 

 index of the blood. Unfortunately, it is practically im- 

 possible to estimate this index against the Spirocheta 

 pallida at least when one is not working in a good bac- 

 teriological laboratory, as the handling and pure cul- 

 ture of Spirocheta pallida is less easy than might be 



