262 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



1918 



be expected from the administration of antidysenteric serum? 

 On the other hand, experiences of those observers who have 

 made careful studies of serum therapy as applied to this disease 

 speak in favor of this method of treatment. 



According to the present communication the use of specific 

 treatment seems to be an effective means of checking the progress 

 of the disease in cases of true bacillary dysentery. Out of 20 

 cases that I have so far had the opportunity of treating, only one 

 has died. Different methods of administering the serum, name- 

 ly, intramuscularly, intravenously, and per rectum (serum 

 enema), have been employed. 



During September, October, and November, 1917, there were 

 admitted to the medical wards of the Philippine General Hospital 

 20 cases of bacillary dysentery, which were treated with serum. 

 Diagnosis in all these cases was based upon clinical symptoms 

 and laboratory examinations. Out of 17 cases in which cultures 

 were made from the fasces, six were negative. Of the 11 cases 

 that were found to be positive, two were of the Shiga and one 

 of the Flexner type. Further differentiation of the rest was 

 not made owing to the fact that there were no media available 

 for this purpose. 



Of these 20 cases, five were treated medicinally combined with 

 intramuscular injection of serum with one death; six cases 

 intramuscularly with no deaths; three cases treated both with 

 intramuscular injections and antidysenteric serum per rectum 

 with no mortality; three cases treated solely with serum per 

 rectum with no deaths; and finally three cases treated intra- 

 venously, with no deaths (see tables). 



Table I. — Drugs and serum intramuscularly.' 



Case. 



Name. 



Age. 



Sex. 



Result. 



Culture. 



Complication. 



Remarks. 



1 

 2 

 3 

 4 



5 



C. R. 

 R. C. 

 E.G. 

 J. G. 

 J. D. 



26 

 18 

 17 

 25 

 29 



F 

 M 

 M 

 F 

 F 



Recovered 



do 







1 



Patient had been 

 sick sixteen days 

 and was in col- 

 lapsed condition 

 on admission. 

 No autopsy per- 

 formed. 



4- 





do 





do 



Died - 



' 





Lobar pneumo- 

 nia. 





" In the culture column in this and following tables — means dysentery bacilli were not 

 obtained in cultures, though sought for : + means dysentery bacilli were obtained in cultures. 

 When the type of dysentery bacilli isolated was identified, it is so indicated (see text). In 

 each case, search was made for amoebae. 



