8TREPTOCOCC1C SERUMS. 



535 



antistreptococcus serum its use is justified. It 

 remains for future work to demonstrate to our 

 satisfaction that it has such value. 



What has been said concerning the treatment of Rheumatism. 

 scarlet fever with the serums of Moser and Aron- 

 son also applies to the treatment of rheumatism 

 with the serum of Menzer. Favorable reports have 

 appeared concerning its value, but a sufficient mass 

 of experience has not accumulated to permit of 

 satisfactory judgment. "So much appears from 

 observations in man that the different streptococcus 

 serums are harmless" (Dieudonne). 



As nearly as can be learned at present, anti- Properties 



of Serum. 



streptococcus serum is protective (and cura- 

 tive ( ?) ) because of its ability to stimulate phago- 

 cytosis, rather than because of serum antitoxins 

 or bacteriolysins. This was indicated by the ob- 

 servations of Bordet in animal experiments, in 

 which marked phagocytosis of streptococci took 

 place in the peritoneal cavity of immunized ani- 

 mals, but very little in normal animals. A simi- 

 lar condition was noted in the test-glass experi- 

 ments of Denys and van der Velde. A mixture 

 of normal rabbit serum and leucocytes showed stimulation 



,..., , . . . . * i ofPhagocy- 



very little phagocytosis of streptococci, whereas tosis. 

 the addition of antistreptococcus serum caused 

 active phagocytosis, with death of the cocci. The 

 presence of a definite substance in the serum which 

 stimulated phagocytosis was conceived by van der 

 Velde and also by v. Lingelsheim. It was heat- 

 resistant (62 to 65 C.), and was not destroyed 

 by dilute acids and alkalies (cited by Lingelsheim). 



The prophylactic injection of killed streptococci vaccine 



i x if i i, ' .L- 3 Tlierapy. 



in scarlet lever has been mentioned. 



