2 PROTEIN THERAPY 



serving of examination. I took the same view when it was reported in 

 connection with antityphoid inoculation that it rendered the patients much 

 less susceptible to malaria. Again, seven years ago, when applying anti- 

 pneumococcus inoculation as a preventive against pneumonia in the Trans- 

 vaal mines, I nourished exactly the same prejudices. But here the statis- 

 tical results which were obtained in the Premier Mine demonstrated that 

 the pneumococcus inoculation had, in addition to bringing down the mor- 

 tality from pneumonia by 85 per cent., reduced also the mortality from 

 other diseases by 50 per cent. From that on we had to take up into our 

 categories the fact that inoculation produces in addition to 'direct' also 

 'collateral' immunization." . . . 



Several other observations must be recalled. In 1893 Eugene 

 Frankel reported on the treatment of some 57 cases of typhoid fever 

 treated with subcutaneous injections of typhoid bacilli. The results 

 were promising. In an address delivered at the same time Rumpf pre- 

 sented a similar series of typhoid patients, but treated with subcutane- 

 ous injections of a pyocyaneus vaccine. Rumpf based his work on 

 the experiments of Buchner and his pupils who had emphasized that 

 in tuberculosis, the infection then under most intensive study in Ger- 

 many, not only tuberculin but other bacterial products could activate 

 previously latent powers of resistance. Romer, working along the 

 same line, had found that tuberculous animals could be killed by ex- 

 tracts obtained from pneumobacilli and bacillus pyocyaneus just as 

 well as with tuberculin, i.e., that such animals were susceptible not 

 only to a specific intoxication because of some abnormal sensitiza- 

 tion, but that they were susceptible to other toxic products as well be- 

 cause of their infection. Rumpf concluded that while soluble toxins 

 might be specific and call forth a specific response on the part of the 

 patient, all bacteria probably contained a common component non- 

 specific against which immunization might conceivably be carried 

 out. He first made up and used a streptococcus vaccine, but it pos- 

 sessed no therapeutic properties so far as typhoid fever was concerned. 

 It was then that he made up his pyocyaneus vaccine and with it 

 achieved results that in many ways equalled those that Frankel had 

 obtained with typhoid vaccines. In his series of 30 cases there were 

 two deaths, one from pneumonia, the other from perforation. 



Rumpf observed that following his subcutaneous injections chills 

 and sweating were not uncommon. Usually the temperature and the 

 pulse began to come down within two days after commencing the 

 vaccines; the earlier the treatment was commenced the more notice- 

 able the effect on the clinical course. He called attention in par- 

 ticular to the euphoria that was observed after the injection. 



This paper, published at a time that witnessed the introduction of 

 diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin, was practically ignored; the more 

 readily when several competent observers, working with small series 

 of cases it is true, could not confirm Rumpf s results. 



