BACTERIAL INOCULATION 257 



tion is, naturally, that the patient will be immunized 

 with the exact strain of the germ by which he has been 

 infected, leading to a more definite and decisive re- 

 sult. The commercial so-called '' mixed bacterins or 

 vaccines " for therapeutic purposes cannot be too 

 highly condemned, simply on scientific grounds; 

 prophylactically their employment would appear 

 rational. It is not true that the injection of a few 

 million extra brands of germs, in addition to that 

 responsible for the main affection or possibly con- 

 comitant infections, is without deleterious effect. 

 Each variety of bacteria thus injected stimulates the 

 tissue cells to the production of its specific antibody. 

 This, certainly, is an unnecessary work or drain on 

 the part of the immunological mechanism, so far as 

 the irrelevant bacteria are concerned, and has no ef- 

 fect therapeutically upon the pathological process. 

 Again, the bacterin, especially if heterogeneous, may 

 be unfit for use, that is, too old or in a state of precipi- 

 tation or autolysis, or chemically contaminated from 

 its container, be it bottle, vial, ampoule or syringe. 



Finally an item of much importance in the prep- 

 aration of a bacterin, whether autogenous or stock, 

 is that it should not be overheated, thereby destroy- 

 ing its immunizing properties. The correct degree of 

 temperature is merely the thermic death point for the 

 respective bacterium. 



17 



