AUTOSERUM THERAPY 835 



AUTOSERUM THERAPY 



A number of observers have reported favorable results following the 

 administration of the patient's own serum in the treatment of various 

 diseases. In most instances serum is secured by withdrawing blood into 

 a sterile container, and defibrinating it with glass beads; this is followed 

 by thorough centrifugalization, or the serum is secured after the blood 

 has been allowed to coagulate spontaneously. In other instances the 

 serum has been obtained from blisters purposely produced by the appli- 

 cation of cantharides; in still others, and especially in tuberculosis of 

 serous membranes, good results have been observed to follow subcu- 

 taneous injections of small amounts of the patient's pleural or peritoneal 

 fluid. 



AUTOSERUM IN THE TREATMENT OF SKIN DISEASES 

 Spiethoff, 1 Strumpke, 2 Gottheil and Latenstein, 3 Fox, 4 and other 

 observers have secured favorable results from this form of serum therapy 

 in the treatment of obstinate and chronic dermatoses, due to general, 

 rather than to local causes, in which the usual therapeutic measures 

 are ineffectual or only partially successful, as, for example, psoriasis, 

 dermatitis herpetiformis, pemphigus, lichen ruber, lichen planus, urticaria, 

 squamous eczema, etc. Blood is withdrawn from the patient in amounts 

 of from 50 to 100 c.c. While still fresh, the serum is separated and in- 

 jected intravenously in doses of from 30 to 40 c.c. These treatments are 

 repeated from two to six times at intervals of from three to five days. 



In collaboration with Schamberg I have treated several cases of 

 psoriasis with autoserum, injecting the serum intravenously in doses of 

 20 c.c. each week until four to ten injections had been given. In none were 

 there any evidences of improvement. Chrysarobin ointment was not 

 used as advised by Fox. Ravitch 5 has also reported unfavorably upon 

 the influence of autoserum alone in the treatment of psoriasis. 



AUTOSERUM IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE INFECTIOUS DISEASES 

 Favorable results have also been observed in the treatment of lep- 

 rosy with injections of serum secured by raising a blister with cantharides. 

 Similar reports have been made by Jez 6 in the treatment of erysipelas, 



1 Med. Klin., 1913, ix, No. 24. 



* Deut. med. Wchnschr., 1913, xxxix, No. 30. 



3 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., 1914, Ixiii, 1190. 



4 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., 1914, 63, 2190. 



6 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc., 1915, Ixiv, 1228. 

 6 Wien. klin. Wchnschr., August 31, 1901. 



