Prophylaxis 385 



pigs with serum from sheep immunized by injections first 

 of dead, then of living cultures of tubercle 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 infection, seventy- 

 four days; and those injected before infection, ninety-one 

 days. 



The author* made a study of antituberculin, prepared by 

 injecting donkeys for a long period with increasing doses 

 of tuberculin. Experiments upon guinea-pigs showed that 

 the serum was powerless to immunize against the tubercle 

 bacillus, or to cure established tuberculosis. The serum, 

 however, had the power of annulling the effects of tuber- 

 culin upon tuberculous animals. 



De Schweinitz f injected cows and horses with increasing 

 quantities of bouillon cultures of a greatly attenuated 

 tubercle bacillus, and thought he found the serum capable 

 of rendering guinea-pigs immune. 



FischJ immunized a horse against tuberculin-R, hoping 

 to produce an antitoxin that might be useful in treating 

 tuberculosis. His experiment resulted in " Antiphthisie 

 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 



* "Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc.," Aug. 21, 1897. 



t"Centralbl. f. Bakt. und Parasitenk.," Sept. 15, 1897, Bd. xxii, 

 Nos. 8 and 9. 



t "Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc.," Oct. 30, 1897. 

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

 25 



