Chapter X 



ANTIBACTERIAL SERUM THERAPY 



ANTIBACTERIAL SERA 



Indications Antibacterial sera are especially 

 indicated when the patient's vitality is low: 

 when the resisting power of the patient is such 

 that his tissue-cells cannot produce sufficient an- 

 tibodies to successfully cope with the infection. 

 The practical application of specific antibac- 

 terial sera in the treatment of various infections 

 has been used on a large scale. It has been 

 found that by the early injection of serum, the 

 natural resistance of infected individuals can be 

 augmented and the disease materially amelior- 

 ated and its course shortened. Even in desper- 

 ate cases, injections of large quantities of an 

 antibacterial serum have yielded most unex- 

 pectedly favorable results, while small doses in 

 similar cases have usually been without bene- 

 ficial action. 



Reasons for Failure In general, however, 

 the results of the use of antibacterial sera in 

 the treatment of specific diseases have not al- 



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