GENEEAL VACCIN-E THEKAPY 755 



the same action of leucocytes on the same bacteria in the 

 serum of the normal person or animal. Thus 100 leucocytes 

 may ingest 500 staphylococci in the presence of healthy 

 serum. Employing the serum of an animal with furuncu- 

 losis, 100 leucocytes may take up but 250 staphylococci. 

 The opsonic index of the healthy individual is regarded as 

 one and that of the example quoted would be 0.5. 



The determination of the opsonic index is an elaborate 

 procedure and is not essential for vaccine treatment. In a 

 general way, after the injection of vaccines, the power of 

 phagocytosis is lessened, but, after a few days, it is in- 

 creased. So that injections are commonly made every 3 

 days or so, or after any depressing symptoms — as malaise 

 and fever caused by the injections — have passed. Fever is 

 rare, however, if proper doses are used. In systemic infec- 

 tions it may be necessary to inject daily, to secure the forma- 

 tion of antibodies, and the patient may be too depressed to 

 be stimulated by the vaccines at all. 



Both antisera and vaccines may be used at the same 

 time, as antistreptococcic serum and streptococcus vaccine. 

 Then comes the question of the source of vaccines. They 

 may be prepared from bacterial cultures obtained from 

 locally infected tissue, or discharges, or from the blood of 

 the patient (autogenous). Or stock vaccines may be used 

 which are now sold by makers of biological laboratory prod- 

 ucts, that is, vaccines kept on hand ready-made, while the 

 autogenous vaccine is probably preferable in securing just 

 the strain of infecting bacteria, very good results have been 

 gotten from stock staphylococcus and streptococcus vaccines 

 in these infections. 



The average dosage has been determined for in each vac- 

 cine' in human medicine. For instance, that for staphylococ- 

 cus is about 600 million cocci at i. dose. 



STow in regard to the use of vaccines in veterinary 

 practice. While the use of vaccines in human medicine is 

 still new and their exact value still undetermined, yet a 

 vast amount of work has been done and a multitude of re- 

 coveries have been reported from their injection. 



In veterinary medicine there is great opportunity for 

 experimental employment of vaccines. The following re- 



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