146
Remarks by Dr. Yersin.
"The serum used in these experiments was supplied by the Pasteur Institute
of Nha Trang. It had to be prepared in great haste, so it was weaker than that used
last year in China, and the doses to be injected consequently had to be largely
increased.
"In the mortality returns cases will constantly occur where the patient has died
within 12 hours of the injection of the serum, showing that it has not had time to
act. If all such cases which cannot properly be reckoned among the cases treated
were eliminated, the percentage of the deaths would be much less than 34 per cent.
"In future experiments better results will be obtained with a more powerful
serum if injected at once and in sufficient quantity.
"A scientific report, with detailed statements of all cases treated, will shortly be
published in the annals of the Pasteur Institute at Paris."
*
*
*
"When the circumstances under which the treatment was being carried out came
to the notice of the Committee, they requested Dr. Yersin to confine his operation
as much as possible to the plague hospitals, so that the cases might be under the
observation of the medical officers working under the Committee.
These observations are recorded in the special reports of the hospitals in which
the cases were treated.
The results thus seen in the Bombay plague hospitals are not favorable, and
the following is a brief resume of them :—
Dr. Yersin's Treatment.
Hospital.
Parel
...
...
...
Sahebs' Servants
Charni Road
No. of Cases.
23
4
4
Recoveries.
10
1
2
Deaths.
13
3
2
Per cent.
of
Mortality.
56.5
75
50
* In this case there was some diversity of opinion as to whether it was a true case of plague.
Including all the cases treated and giving the most favourable results, the
results are :—
The total number of cases treated ...
The total number of recoveries
The total number of deaths
The percentage of mortality to cases
... 34*
... 15
... 19
... 55.1
* Inclusive of 3 cases rejected by Dr. Thompson.
Despite the apparent failure of the treatment to have an appreciably beneficial effect
on the disease, the Committee wish to draw attention to the facts that it is based on
sound laws of scientific experiment and research, that these have not yet reached the
full perfection which it is reasonable to expect, that the serum first used by Dr. Yersin
was of feeble immunizing power, and that the subsequent operations of Dr. Yersin at
Cutch Mandvi with anti-toxin serum of a higher standard than that which he used in
the first instance in Bombay, were attended with more commendable results.
We may mention that M. Haffkine has also carried on researches for the pro-
duction of an anti-toxin serum and that further interesting and valuable communications
may be expected from him, as well as from Dr. Yersin and the other scientific men and
missions who have been eagerly investigating this particular and all-important subject.
In his report on the Jain Hospital, Lalbag, Bhuleshwar, Dr. Divan mentions
cases of inoculation by Professor Haffkine and Dr. Yersin (see Report, Private
Hospital No. 20 and of "Recurrence").
Professor Haffkine.—In the first of these, two brothers, who arrived in Bombay
from Damaun, were immediately inoculated by Professor Haffkine. Both, however
were attacked by the epidemic, the one ou the sixth and the other on the tenth day
after their arrival.