194 APPLIED IMMUNOLOGY 



this time constitutes one of its most valuable uses and 

 will confer immunity. 



Therapeutic Administration of Tuberculin. — Al- 

 though tuberculin has failed to become the much- 

 vaunted panacea that, at first, it was hoped would be 

 realized, it, at least in most cases, when properly em- 

 ployed, favorably and decidedly influences the tuber- 

 culous process. This has led, in recent years, to a 

 marked revival of interest in its therapeutic employ- 

 ment. 



It must be clearly and definitely understood by 

 the clinician, as a fundamental premise, that it is not 

 claimed that tuberculin is a specific for, or per se a 

 curative agent in, the treatment of tuberculosis. It is 

 to be regarded simply as an accessory agent of Nature, 

 and when thus utiHzed serves as a most valuable, if 

 not indispensable, adjunct to routine antituberculosis 

 measures, amounting frequently, in localized and non- 

 febrile cases, apparently to curative results. Failure 

 is due oftener to incompetent, careless, or reckless ad- 

 ministration than to tuberculin itself. It must be con- 

 stantly borne in mind that tuberculin, more so than 

 most biological products, is a powerful agent, capable 

 of producing evil, or even disaster, rather than good, 

 unless properly and wisely administered. In experi- 

 enced hands, however, tuberculin therapy is absolutely 

 harmless. Trudeau states: 



