TUBERCULOSIS. 237 



perimental studies of Trudeau and Baldwin, however, 

 antiphthisin is only much diluted tuberculin, and exerts 

 no demonstrable influence upon the tubercle bacillus in 

 vitro, does not cure tuberculosis in guinea-pigs, and 

 probably inhibits the growth of the tubercle bacillus 

 upon culture-media to which it has been added, only by 

 its acid reaction. 



On the other hand, Ambler has used antiphthisin with 

 excellent results in the treatment of human tubercu- 

 losis. 



Numerous experimenters, prominent among whom are 

 Tizzoni, Cattani, Bernheim, and Paquin, have experi- 

 mented with the tubercle bacillus and tuberculin, hoping 

 that the principles of serum-therapy might be applicable 

 to the disease. Nothing positive has, however, been 

 achieved. The first-named observers claim to have im- 

 munized guinea-pigs, in whose blood an antitoxin formed; 

 the last-named thinks the serum of immunized horses 

 a specific for tuberculosis. The field of experimentation 

 is an inviting one, though the chronic course of the dis- 

 ease lessens the certainty with which the results can be 

 estimated. 



Babes and Proca, in an experimental research upon the 

 action of the antituberculous serum, claim for it a decided 

 specific action, and demonstrate experimentally that ani- 

 mals inoculated with tubercle bacilli and injected with 

 the serum are protected from the spread of the disease. 



Mafucci and diVestra found that by injecting guinea- 

 pigs with serum from sheep immunized by injections 

 first of dead, then of living cultures of tubercli bacilli, 

 although no cures were brought about, the vitality of 

 the animals was maintained longer. Unprotected animals 

 died in fifty to fifty-three days. Those injected after in- 

 fection, seventy-four days, and those injected before infec- 

 tion, ninety-one days. 



The author 1 made an elaborate study of the so-called 

 antituberculin, suggested by Viquerat, and widely praised 



1 Jour, of the Anier. Med. Assoc., Aug. 21, 1897. 



