BACTERIAL INOCULATION 295 



typhoid fever. The argument is not altogether con- 

 vincing, but the adoption of this mode of therapy is 

 entitled to serious consideration. In ten days or two 

 weeks, after the bacilli are no longer demonstrable in 

 the blood, the expert administration of typhoid bac- 

 terin may result advantageously. It would appear 

 that a stock bacterin prepared from an old culture of 

 high antigenic properties is preferable to an autog- 

 enous preparation. There exists a danger of the em- 

 ployment of too large dosage. A primary inoculation 

 of 50,000,000 bacilli is proper. The opsonic index 

 will render service in the control of subsequent in- 

 jections (Fig. 53). 



The bacterin treatment of " typhoid carriers," 

 whether the infection lurk in the gall-bladder or 

 urinary tract, has at times resulted brilliantly, at 

 others failed. 



Antityphoid inoculation stands out as one of the 

 particular bright lights in bacterial immunization. In 

 the armies of England, France, Germany, Japan, 

 and the United States, adopting prophylactic inocu- 

 lations, the fall in incidence and mortality rate from 

 typhoid fever has been remarkable (Fig. 57). Were 

 the practice universal typhoid fever would soon cease 

 to exist. 



In 1913, in the army of the United States, of 

 90,646 inoculated officers and enlisted men, only three 



