276 APPLIED IMMUNOLOGY 



of an acute gonorrhoea, sooner or later, invariably 

 contains bacteria other than the gonococcus, namely, 

 the Streptococcus pyogenes, the Staphylococcus, the 

 Pneumococcus, the Colon bacillus, the Micrococcus 

 catarrhalis, etc. Thus the prophylactic effect of early 

 immunization in a case of gonorrhoea against these 

 complicating germs, in the prevention or ameliora- 

 tion of such conditions as gleet, prostatitis, seminal 

 vesiculitis, etc., should not be underestimated. The 

 authors feel that in many cases in their experience the 

 cautious administration of mixed gonococcic bacterin 

 has sufficed to shorten convalescence and to prevent or 

 reduce the severity of certain complications, notably 

 inflammation of the prostate and seminal vesicles and 

 stricture formation. It is a difficult or impossible task 

 to gauge the effect of treatment upon any disease 

 prone to run a definite course, consequently the value 

 of bacterins in urethritis, in nmnberless instances, has 

 been immeasurable, and although certain investiga- 

 tors have reported favorably on biological therapeusis 

 in acute gonorrhoea, consensus of opinion discourages 

 the procedure. 



In this connection reference must be made to 

 Bruck's " Arthigon," a suspension of dead gonococci, 

 standardized to contain twenty millions per cubic 

 centimetre. Trustworthy evidence has accumulated 

 to the effect that the intravenous injection of this 



