16
Septicaemia, Endometritis and Puerperal Sepsis.— Two of the three were cases of puerperal
sepsis. The third one was apparently one of staphylococcal septicaemia (case 160).
Case 41.—A case of difficult labour which ended in perforation and forceps delivery. She
developed septic endometritis and subsequently an abscess in the pouch of Douglas, with symptoms
of sapraemia of a virulent type. Cultures were made from the discharge and a streptococcus
isolated. Six injections of this streptococcus vaccine brought the temperature down from 101.6°F
to normal in about 17 days.
Case 160.—A case of pyrexia of uncertain origin, with rigors, and sweatings, not unlike
the condition accompanying pyaemia. A staphylococcus was isolated from the blood and a
vaccine prepared. The very first injection of 5 million cocci was followed by a drop in the
temperature to the normal. A second dose of 10 million was given in 48 hours and the patient
was discharged cured a week later.
TABLE XII.
S e r i a l
n u m b e r .
Case
number.
Medical officer.
Disease.
Vaccine made.
Result.
1
41
Superintendent, Government
Materinty Hospital, Madras.
Acute endometritis . . . Streptococcus . . . Marked improve
-
ment.
2
158
District Medical Officer,
Cuddalore.
Puerperal Sepsis . . .
Do. . . . Not used.
3
160
Fourth Physician, General
Hospital, Madras.
Pyrexia of uncertain
origin.
Staphylococcus . . . Cured.
Pyorrhoea Alveolaris.—It is still an open question whether true pyorrhœa alveolaris is
amenable to vaccine treatment. The general view now held is that the treatment of this
obstinate disease should be directed to local anti-septic and surgical measures by the dentist
rather than to bacterial vaccines. It is however a relief to find that of the 13 cases treated by
autogenous vaccines, two are reported as cured and four as improved. It is well known that
among the graver results of pyorrhoea alveolaris are dyspeptic troubles, anaemia, general
debility and neurasthenic symptoms the pathology of which is supposed to be an auto-inoculation
with the products of the organisms thriving in the sockets of the teeth and getting ingested
into the stomach and bowels in the saliva. The cases reported as improved seemed to have been
relieved in part of these general symptoms.
Case 33.—Case of pyorrhoea alveolaris in an old lady of 69 years. She was suffering from
rheumatoid thickening and creaking of both knee joints with lipping of the inter-articular carti
- l a g e s . A s t r e p t o c o c c u s b r e v i s w a s i s o l a t e d f r o m t h e a l v e o l a r d i s c h a r g e a n d 5 d o s e s o f t h e
autogenous vaccine (5 to 100 million) were administered during a period of three weeks at the
end of which time she is reported to have been discharged as cured.
Case 44.—After two injections of 5 and 10 million autogenous streptococcus there was a
decided improvement in the dental condition resulting in a firmer hold of the teeth to the sock
- e t s , t h e p u s d i s a p p e a r i n g . A f t e r t h e t h i r d i n j e c t i o n o f 2 0 m i l l i o n a l l t h e l o o s e t e e t h b e c a m e
firm and there was no pus around any of them.
Case 57.—Patient aged 35; has been suffering from bleeding from the gums for the last
12 years. All kinds of treatment had been tried but without any effect. An autogenous
vaccine was prepared from the streptococcus isolated from the discharge and administered in
graduated doses. After the third injection of 30 million streptococci spontaneous bleeding from
the gums ceased, blood oozing out only on application of pressure. Two more injections up to a
maximum of 100 million sufficed to stop the bleeding altogether and the patient was reported
to be entirely free from the complaint.