432 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



This appeared to be the case with the organisms in my experi- 

 ments. The strain of B. tuberculosis was an old laboratory- 

 culture of low virulence and formed a good uniform milky 

 suspension, while suspensions of B. smegmatis and mist ba- 

 cillus were coarsely flocculent. The physical character of the 

 antigen is undoubtedly one of the most important considerations 

 in selecting one of several strains of B. tuberculosis. That used 

 in the following tests was especially satisfactory in this respect. 



Having selected B. tuberculosis (human) as the most suitable 

 antigen, it alone was used in subsequent tests to compare the 

 complement-binding strength of bacteriologically positive and 

 bacteriologically negative cases of leprosy. 



In the first group were sera from twenty-one cases of nodular 

 and mixed leprosy and three of the pure, anaesthetic type. 

 Treatment with ethyl esters of chaulmoogra oil had been begun 

 only one or two weeks before the tests were made and as yet 

 no noticeable clinical change could be observed, and each of the 

 nodular and mixed cases was microscopically positive. The 

 results of the tests are tabulated in Table 6. 



Table 6. — Clinically and bacteriologically positive cases 

 beginning treatment. 



of leprosy just 



Case. 



Se, 



Age. 



Type. 



_ 



2tl 





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