The serum treatment of erysipelas

Abstract

The first attempt to produce an antistreptococcic serum for the treatment of erysipelas came from the hands of Charnn and Roger in 1895. cultures of streptococci isolated from cases of erysipelas were grown in bouillon for ten days and this was concentrated by evaporation to one tenth and placed in the autoclave at 115 degrees cent. Thus they believed that they had preserved the original bacterial substanc. e and its toxins. This was used to immunise a mule, giving 30 ccs. intravenously every second day. After about two weeks the mule was bled and the serum used in doses of about ten to fifteen ccs.. They reported good results, particularly in puerperal septicaemia without peritoneal localisation.Later Marmorek, Aronson, Moser, Savechenko and numerous other workers in this field reported favourable results with antistreptococcal serum in cases of erysipelas.More recently Goresco and Popesco reported very hopeful results in severe cases using a polyvalent antistreptococcal serum prepared by the Institute of Sero Vaccines, Bucarest.(hr J. cantacuzene ) Their report was on some eighty cases with a doseage of one cc. or more daily, the results being very satisfactory in nearly every case. The most marked feature was very often a great improvement in the general condition of the patient even if the temperature re-by lysis. The local lesion improved rapidly and relapses were rare, control cases treated with normal horse serum gave negative results

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