Prophylaxis 341 



to produce an antitoxin that might be useful in treating 

 tuberculosis. His experiment resulted in "Antiphthisic 

 Serum, TR," which was claimed to thoroughly immunize 

 guinea-pigs against tuberculosis, to cure tuberculous guinea- 

 pigs in the early stages of the disease, and to neutralize 

 the effects of tuberculin upon tuberculous animals. 



Paterson * has suggested a method of immunization 

 against tuberculosis by the use of increasing doses of the 

 serum of a fowl immunized against avian tuberculosis by 

 gradually increased doses of sterilized, attenuated, and 

 virulent cultures of the avian tubercle bacillus. The pre- 

 paration appears to have met the common fate oblivion. 



From these discordant observations, the more favorable 

 of which are probably the hasty records of inadequate or 

 incomplete experiments, the conclusion that little is to be 

 hoped from immune serums in the treatment of tubercu- 

 losis is inevitable. 



Prophylaxis. It is the duty of every physician to 

 use every means in his power to prevent the spread of 

 tuberculous infection in the households under his care. 

 To this end patients should- cease to kiss the members of 

 their families and friends; should have individual knives, 

 forks, spoons, cups, napkins, etc., carefully kept apart 

 secretly if the patient be sensitive upon the subject from 

 those of the family, and scalded after each meal; should 

 have their napkins and handkerchiefs, as well as whatever 

 clothing or bed-clothing is soiled by them, kept apart from 

 the common wash, and boiled; and should carefully 

 collect the expectoration in a suitable receptacle, that is 

 sterilized or disinfected, without being permitted to dry, as 

 it has been shown that the tubercle bacillus can remain 

 alive in dried sputum as long as nine months. The phy- 

 sician should also give directions for disinfecting the 

 bedroom occupied by a consumptive before it becomes 

 the chamber of a healthy person, though this should be 

 as much the function of the municipality as the disin- 

 fection practised after scarlatina, diphtheria, and smallpox. 



Boards of health are now becoming more and more in- 

 terested in tuberculosis, and, though exceedingly slow and 

 conservative in their movements, are disseminating litera- 

 ture with the hope of achieving by volition that which might 

 otherwise be regarded as cruel compulsion. 



*"Amer. Medico-Surg. Bull.," Jan. 25, 1898. 



