2 4 2 



Scientific Proceedings (121). 



Some of the failures of anti-streptococcus serum may have been 

 due to the fact that the particular strain of streptococcus causing 

 the infection was not among those groups used for the immuniza. 

 tion of the horse. The importance of this was not realized until 

 comparatively recently and it is possible that further work may 

 show that a potent anti-streptococcic serum can be prepared for 

 each strain. 



The pathogenicity of the colon bacillus for laboratory animals 

 shows much variation as the intravenous administration of some 

 strains in small amounts sometimes quickly results in death, while 

 large amounts of other strains are well borne. 



The symptoms and fatal results are probably due to the action 

 of toxins or poisons contained in the body of the bacteria. 



The colon bacillus has been claimed to be the cause of a variety 

 of conditions in various parts of the body, particularly in the region 

 of the abdominal cavity, but some observers have thought it 

 questionable if the colon bacillus was the primary cause of the 

 lesions due chiefly to the observation that it is not always found 

 in pure culture. 



The growth of the colon bacillus is not attended with the 

 production of a soluble toxin or poison of a high degree and there- 

 fore the injection of filtrates into animals of broth cultures is not 

 followed by marked antibody formation, but if animals such as 

 the rabbit or horse are given gradually increasing doses of killed 

 or live cultures there quickly appear in their blood antibodies 

 such as bacteriolysins, agglutinins, precipitins, and complement- 

 fixing substances. 



The fact that antibodies are produced in high degree in im- 

 munized animals gives support to the opinion of Dr. Cotton that 

 a combined Anti-Colon Streptococcus Serum is of value in pre- 

 venting post-operation infections due to colon bacilli or strepto- 

 cocci and perhaps may be of value in the treatment of infections 

 by those organisms already developed. 



