VACCINES AND SERA 283 



which they consist with the corresponding anti-sera 

 (Besredka). After soaking in the serum the bacteria are 

 washed free from all trace of it : they must only retain what 

 they have been able to fix : there must be no free serum. 



These qualities of such vaccines are due to the immune 

 body which they have fixed.^ 



Phagocytic Therapy. 



When the leucocytes are counted to determine the 

 diagnosis and prognosis in certain infectious diseases it is 

 really a case of measuring to some extent the reactions and 

 natural means of defence of the body : the laws of phagocy- 

 tosis are being applied. It was natural not to stop at 

 recording these phenomena, but to proceed to active inter- 

 vention by attempting to modify, fortify or direct the 

 phagocytic apparatus. 



The great danger in surgical operations, especially on the 

 abdomen, is an infection of the field of operation : formerly 

 it was the custom to flood this with antiseptics ; the bacteria 

 were destroyed but the tissues were injured. Nowadays not 

 only has antisepsis given place to pure asepsis but the attempt 

 is made to summon to the field' of operation, particularly to 

 the peritoneum, legions of the cells capable of taking up 

 bacteria and healing wounds. For this purpose it is 

 customary to inject into the abdominal cavity either blood 

 serum (warmed to body temperature), or substances which 



' The association of an antirabic serum with the injection of the 

 emulsions of spinal cord may be regarded as a sero-vaccination or as 

 treatment with a sensitized vaccine. 



Such a serum cannot be relied upon to prevent rabies in animals : still 

 less can it furnish the basis of treatment for man. But it has been 

 employed with success in conjunction with the virus fixe of the Pasteur 

 treatment to induce the greatest possible absorption by the body. In such 

 virus-serum mixtures it is only the virus which immunizes: the serum 

 merely favours absorption. An excess of serum would be actually 

 injurious and must be avoided. 



In man the virus-serum treatment is employed in those cases where the 

 treatment has to be rapid, i.e.., when the patient presents himself long after 

 the bite or where the injuries have been very serious (A. Marie). 



