116 MODERN BIOLOGIC THERAPEUSIS 



parts of the world indicate that the frequency of 

 pneumonia is steadily increasing. Among the 

 possible reasons which may account for this are : 

 (1) Increased use of alcohol; (2) increased facil- 

 ities for travel; and (3) increased overcrowding 

 in the home, workshop and places of amusement. 

 It may be conservatively stated that the fre- 

 quency of pneumonia is at least not diminished. 



SERUM TREATMENT 



Historic Pneumonia was one of the first dis- 

 eases which engaged attention through serum 

 therapy. The Klemperer Brothers (1891) were 

 pioneers in the field of serum treatment of 

 pneumonia. Until Roemer in 1902 commenced 

 a series of studies of pneumococcus immunity, 

 the treatment of pneumonia by a serum was not 

 seriously considered by the profession. Roemer 

 holds in favor of the success of serum treatment 

 of pneumonia because of the fact that in no 

 acute infection are protective bodies so prompt- 

 ly formed in the blood as in this disease. He 

 states: "Just as the antimeningococcus and an- 

 tistreptococcus sera, so has the antipneumococ- 

 cus serum a just claim for recognition and this 

 it will acquire for itself." 



