BACTERIA 3 



pends upon the cutaneous application of Tuberculin Old, while Moro's 

 modification of von Pirquet's method consists in the use of Tuber- 

 culin Ointment, which is vigorously rubbed on a small area of the 

 skin. A positive reaction is evidenced by the appearance of an 

 eruption at the point of application after about twenty-four hours. 

 Tuberculin T. R. (tuberculin residuum) is prepared by repeatedly 

 centrifugalizing a suspension in water of the dried and ground 

 tubercle organisms. Tuberculin B. E. (bacillary emulsion) is com- 

 posed of a suspension of crushed or thoroughly ground tubercle organ- 

 isms in 50 per cent glycerin solution. Tuberculin T. R. and Tuber- 

 culin T. E. are used as therapeutic agents, and are administered 

 subcutaneously. 



Antitoxic and antimicrobial serums are prepared from the blood 

 of animals which have been immunized by repeated injections of 

 specific organisms, in live or dead condition, or by repeated treat- 

 ments with specific bacterial toxins. Antiserums may be employed 

 in the form of liquid or dried serums or as precipitated globulins. 

 The immunity induced by the use of antiserums is passive in nature. 

 In other words, the protective material or antibodies are furnished to 

 the treated individual ready-made, therefore the immunity which 

 follows is relatively temporary. Antitoxic serums consist of those 

 serums which are prepared from animals, treated with repeated doses 

 of the specific toxins. The antibacterial serums, which are not as 

 specific as the antitoxic, are the result of the treatment of the animals 

 with increasing doses of the dead, attenuated or live bacteria. The 

 important antitoxic serums are the antidiphtheritic and antitetanic, 

 while the antibacterial serums are the antigonococcic, antimenin- 

 gococcic, antistreptococcic and antituberculic. 



In an interesting work entitled " Prolongation of Life," Metch- 

 nikoff advanced the theory that duration of life may be prolonged if 

 measures were taken to control intestinal putrefaction. He 

 found that there was a widespread popular belief in the advantage of 

 a diet consisting largely of sour milk, and that there was a fair parallel 

 between unusual longevity and such a diet. He also observed that 

 the cause of much sickness and debility was due by reason of gastro- 

 intestinal autointoxication. It can be demonstrated by laboratory 

 and clinical experiments that the lactic acid, due to the action of 

 Bacillus lactis acidi, in the beverages known as koumys, kefir yog- 

 hurt, rapi and buttermilk, tend to inhibit intestinal putrefaction. It 

 has been found that the organism causing Bulgarian sour milk is 

 especially active in lactic acid production. This organism, known 

 as Bacillus bulgaricus, is now prepared commercially on a rather 



