124 The Philippine Journal of Science 



reticulata, used for malaria and probably containing berberine; 

 and several species of strophanthus, the lethal dose of which is 

 not unknown to the natives. 



SERUM THERAPY OF BACILLARY DYSENTERY 



By Dr. Pedro T. Lantin 



Specific serum therapy for bacillary dysentery has until the 

 last few years fallen into disrepute. The work of later inves- 

 tigators indicates that the serum therapy of bacillary dysentery 

 is an effective means of checking the disease. The present paper 

 gives the results of the treatment of 20 cases of bacillary 

 dysentery treated with antidysentery serum. Of these 20 cases, 

 5 were treated medicinally and with intramuscular injections 

 of serum, 1 death occurring; 6 were treated with serum intra- 

 muscularly and per rectum, with no deaths ; 3 cases were treated 

 with serum per rectum, with no deaths; and finally 3 cases 

 were treated intravenously with serum, with no deaths. The 

 majority of the cases were severe; the single case that died 

 had been admitted to the hospital in a state of collapse. Admin- 

 istration per rectum was done with the patient in the knee- 

 chest position, 30 to 50 cubic centimeters being given daily, 

 preceded a half hour earlier by sodium carbonate (1.5 per cent) 

 to cleanse the bowels and 60 cubic centimeters of starch-solution 

 enema containing 10 drops of tincture of opium. Twenty cubic 

 centimeters of serum were used twice a day when given in- 

 tramuscularly, and 10 cubic centimeters every other day, in- 

 travenously with several hours previous administration of 1 

 cubic centimeter hypodermically to avoid anaphylaxis. The 

 serum treatments were followed by a prompt reduction in the 

 number of stools and a diminution of the fever. The per rectum 

 administration of serum in the cases so treated brought about 

 a marked alleviation of the local symptoms; it may be used in 

 mild cases or in conjunction with intramuscular or intravenous 

 injections. In view of the facts established in the literature, 

 successful results should follow the use of bacillary dysentery 

 serum in the Philippine Islands as evidenced in the cases re- 

 ported by the writer. 



DISCUSSION 



Doctor Schobl reviewed the types of dysentery bacilli and 

 the methods of differentiating these and said that the antitoxic 

 serum used was prepared according to Doerr with cultures of 

 the Shiga-Kruse group. Doctor de la Paz discussed some phar- 



