BACTERIAL INOCULATION 253 



nausea, variations in weight, leucocytic and hsemo- 

 globin determinations, and particularly local manifes- 

 tations in the diseased region as well as at the sites of 

 inoculations. Allusion has previously been made to the 

 fact that there are many diseases in which guidance 

 furnished by determinations of the opsonic index is 

 indispensable for the proper execution of bacterin 

 therapy, and without which bacterial inoculations, per- 

 haps, had best not be practiced. These include espe- 

 cially deep-seated affections, as bronchitis, pneumonia, 

 certain intestinal infections and diseases of the genito- 

 urinary tract typified by pyelitis, cystitis, seminal 

 vesiculitis, prostatitis, etc. The safest rule to be ob- 

 served respecting bacterin therapy, controlled only 

 by the clinical symptomatology, is to begin with a 

 very small or assuredly harmless dose; if there be 

 absolutely no reaction, local, focal or general, in two 

 or three days a second inoculation, twice the size of 

 the first, may be given, and so on with intervals of 

 three to seven days until reactionary phenomena are 

 observed. The slightest reaction is evidence that the 

 dose has been sufficient if not too large and indicates 

 that no further inoculations are to be made until all 

 reactionary signs have completely subsided for several 

 days. Frequently, the next inoculation must be de- 

 ferred for two or more weeks and when administered 

 should not exceed in size its predecessor, commonly 



