Immunity in syphilis.

There are those who view the study of immunity in syphilis and the development of an effective immunizing agent as problems of academic interest only since the advent of penicillin therapy. There are also those who believe, particularly since the world-wide resurgence of syphilis occurring after 1957, that therapeutic and case-finding advances such as have occurred with syphilis represent only holding actions until successful immunization can be accomplished. From the standpoint that the most certain evidence of complete elimination of acute syphilis is the development of a definite re-infection, penicillin has been shown to effect, as easily to-day as 20 years ago, a dramatic cure. In fact, the cycle of cure, re-infection, cure, re-infection, etc., occurs so frequentl