THERAPEUTIC SERA 225 



Antistreptococcus serum does not have the value of some other antitoxic 

 and bacteriocidal sera. Sometimes it produces excellent results and at other 

 times it exerts no influence on the course of a streptococcus infection. ' 



ANTIMENINGOCOCCUS SERUM 



Antimeningococcus serum is produced by injecting horses, alternately, with 

 killed meningococci and solutions prepared as follows: 



Pour 10 to 20 cc. of normal salt solution on a 24-hour-old culture of meningo- 

 cocci, shake until the bacteria are suspended in the salt solution, place this salt 

 solution suspension in the incubator at 37C. for i day and then inject. After 

 the horse has been injected at intervals for a couple of months with killed 

 meningococci, he is then injected with living meningococci for about 6 months. 



Antimeningococcus serum is the specific for the treatment of spinal men- 

 ingitis caused by the meningococcus. It is injected into the spinal canal, the 

 quantity being determined and only limited by the patient's tolerance, from 10 

 to 50 cc. 



ANTIANTHRAX SERUM 

 (SCLAVO'S SERUM) 



Sclavo's serum is produced by injecting sheep or horses first with sensitized 

 bacilli of attenuated virulence, then with attenuated bacilli, not sensitized, 

 finally with virulent bacilli. 



The serum of animals so immunized is of great value in the treatment of 

 anthrax. It should be employed as early as possible. The amount used is 

 large, from 20 to 100 cc. repeated if necessary. A marked reaction follows the 

 first injection of Sclavo's serum. In grave cases and those coming under treat- 

 ment late in the disease, the serum may be injected into a vein; in less urgent 

 cases intramuscular or subcutaneous administration is practiced. 



When injected subcutaneously it takes about 10 months to immunize a 

 horse so that it may be bled. Amos and Wollstein report a quicker method. 

 By giving intravenous injections of the autolized products of meningococci and 

 para-meningococci, and living virulent cultures of these organisms, they have 

 produced therapeutic serum in 3 months. 



