VACCINE OR OPSONIC THERAPY 103 



BACTERIAL VACCINES 



Autogenous Vaccines. It has been held by some that 

 there are different strains or varieties of the same germ, 

 and that to be of value the vaccine must be made from 

 the identical strain with which the individual is infected 

 by making cultures from the site of infection. Such 

 vaccines are called autogenous vaccines, in contradis- 

 tinction to stock vaccines which are prepared from other 

 sources. 



Stock Vaccines. These are made from cultures of the 

 germ of other origin than the particular case in which 

 they are intended to be used. They are prepared from 

 pure cultures of different germs of various origin, and 

 are put up in aseptic containers and kept ready for use. 



They have the advantage of being ready for immediate 

 use, thus avoiding the loss of time necessary to grow the 

 germ in pure culture from the local infection in the 

 preparation of autogenous vaccines. The question of 

 the superiority of the autogenous vaccines is still un- 

 settled. In the preparation of vaccines the germs are 

 grown in pure culture killed by heat and diluted with 

 normal salt solution until each cubic centimeter con- 

 tains a definite number of germs which differ for the 

 different bacteria. 



Staphylococcus Vaccines. These have been used with 

 success in treatment of boils, carbuncles, pyorrhea alve- 

 olaris, sycosis, etc. Stock vaccines are prepared of 

 Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus albus, and 



