SPIRILLUM CHOLERA ASIATICS 125 



to get a serum which will destroy the bacteria and can 

 be used therapeutically. The bacteria grown in the 

 laboratory are killed by moderate heat and injected 

 into animals. The injections are continued until 

 very large doses, fatal to unprepared animals, are 

 withstood. The serum now has properties which will 

 neutralize the endotoxins of the plague bacillus, and 

 is called a bactericidal serum. It is said to have also 

 some antitoxic properties that neutralize the small 

 amount of extracellular poison of this organism. This 

 serum is used for treatment during the attack or for 

 immunizing those exposed. The results have been 

 promising. 



Not only is this passive immunity made use of, but 

 for prevention of infection, plague bacilli whose patho- 

 genic properties are destroyed by heat are also injected 

 precisely as has been described for typhoid fever. This 

 "vaccine" treatment of Haffkine, and one of the first 

 of such procedures, gives an immunity for a few months. 

 Immunity against a subsequent attack always follows 

 plague. Thus there is an active immunizing therapy 

 for plague, and passive immunizing substances can 

 be added to the patient's own defenses. 



SPIRILLUM CHOLERA ASIATICS 



Cholera is an acute inflammatory disease of the small 

 intestines characterized by profuse watery stools, a 

 profound prostration, muscular pains, and high fever. 

 It is caused by the Spirillum cholera asiaticce or 

 cholera spirillum or vibrio. The bacteria enter the 

 body only through the mouth, and settle upon the 



