746 GENERAL THEBAPEUTIC MEASURES 



Marmoiek holds, however, that the streptococci causing 

 erysipelas, cellulitis, abscess, sore throat, parturient in- 

 fections, scarlet fever, etc., are identical; that all produce 

 the same toxins, and that all are antagonized by an anti- 

 infectious or antitoxic serum made from any one or all 

 of them. 



The therapeutic results of antistreptococcic serum are 

 not so certain as those following the use of some other 

 serums — notably anti-diphtheritic serum in man — because 

 so-called streptococcic infection is often a mixed infection, 

 by which is meant that produced in part by other bacteria, 

 and because serums ^Droduced by the cultivation and in- 

 oculation of apparently the same varieties of streptococci 

 seem to differ considerably in their protective value. 

 As in the case of other serums, the therapeutic result is 

 much more favorable when antistreptococcic serum is 

 lused as a prophylactic or in the early stages of the 

 infection. 



The injection of antistreptococcic serum is practically 

 devoid of danger. 



With the qualifications above noted, antistreptococcic 

 serum has proven serviceable in the following morbid con- 

 ditions : Medical and surgical septicemia, pyemia, parturient 

 infections, purpura hemorrhagic influenza, traumatic infec- 

 tions, peritonitis, empyema, cellulitis, erysipelas, broncho 

 and contagious pneumonia of horses, and cerebro-spinal 

 meningitis. 10 c.c, used as a prophylactic dose, may prevent 

 influenza in horses exposed to the disease ; and a full dose, 

 during influenza, may avert purpura as a seqneL As some 

 of the above diseases are often caused by infections other 

 than streptococcus, the employment of antistreptococcic 

 serum may be unavailing in them unless the etiology is 

 known to be streptococcic invasion.* 



Dosage. — In the larger animals from 20 to 50 cc. are 

 injected at all ages at a single operation, and the dose should 

 be repeated every 12 or 24 hours until symptoms abate. 



* On the other hand, any form of horse serum increases the resistance 

 to infection, and this may explain why antidiphtlieric serum or antitoxin is 

 useful in influenza as well as antistreptococcic serum. 



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