12
Ulcers, septic wounds and sinuses.—In a class of cases where anti-septic treatment and
surgical measures must necessarily play an important part, it is satisfactory to note that of the
6 cases where the vaccine was used and the results reported, 4 were cured and 1 improved.
The only case that was not affected was one of epithelioma of the floor of the mouth which was
treated at first with a vaccine presumably on the supposition that it was an ordinary ulcer.
TABLE V.
Septic wounds and sinuses.
Serial
num-
ber.
Case
num
ber.
Medical Officer.
Disease.
Vaccine.
Result.
1
3 The Third Surgeon, General Hospital,
Madras.
Septic wounds . . .
Staphylococcus
aureus.
Not known.
2
6
Do.
do.
Epithelioma of floor
of mouth .
Streptococcus brevis. No effect.
3
14 The Staff Surgeon, Fort St. George . . . Septic wound of leg. Streptococcus . . . Cured. Sur
-
gical treat
-
ment al so adopt ed.
4
27 The Third Surgeon, General Hospital,
Madras.
Suppurating wound of
palm.
B. Coli . . . Not used.
5
31
Do.
do.
Do.
Streptococcus . . . Cured. Other
surgical
treatment also adopted.
6
32
Do.
do.
Suppurating wound.
of groin.
Do.
. . . Cured.
7 176 The Medical Officer, Station Hospital,
St. Thomas' Mount.
Chronic ulcer . . .
Do.
. . . Improved.
8 180 The Medical Officer, Municipal Hos-
pital, Vellore.
Ulcers . . .
Do.
. . . Not known.
9 184 The District Medical and Sanitary
Officer, Cuddapah.
Septic tiger bite . . . Streptococcus
longus.
Cured.
10 190
Do.
do.
Suppurating wound
after operation.
Streptococcus . . . Not used.
11 131 The Resident Medical Officer, General
Hospital, Madras.
Sinus on left shoul-
der.
Do.
. . . Not known.
Pyorrhœa alveolaris.—The bacteriology of this condition is still wrapped in obscurity.
Cultivations from the discharge almost invariably give growths of streptococci and it has been
the custom to treat the condition with the corresponding streptococcal vaccines. The result
of such treatment cannot on the whole be considered to be satisfactory, so much so that vaccine
therapy has been considered by some to be of no avail in this condition. It is possible how
-
ever that the disease is due to some other organism or organisms working either by themselves
or in symbiosis with the streptococci. This view is favoured by the fact that the microscopic
examination of films of the discharge in most cases shows large number of spirochætes and
fusiform bacilli, besides streptococci, but attempts, made so far, to cultivate them in different
media both under ærobic and anærobic conditions have failed.
The most interesting part of the work done in connection with the vaccine therapy of
Pyorrhœa alveolaris was an attempt to employ it in the treatment of the secondary symptoms
supposed to be due to the absorption of the toxic products of the streptococci either from the
tooth sockets themselves or from the intestines which are supposed to be infected with the organ-
isms ingested with food. The dental condition in these cases was comparatively slight. Under
this category come two cases of sprue (112 and 113) whose general health had suffered a good
deal from malnutrition and "alimentary toxemia." They were treated with the autogenous
vaccines made from their alveolar discharges. Both patients increased in weight and im-
proved not only in general health but in their intestinal condition as well.
Case 97 was one of Pyorrhcea alveolaris in a person of 39 years. The condition was accom-
panied by an ulcerated and fissured tongue. As a result of treatment with autogenous strep-
tococcal vaccine, the tongue looked cleaner, the white patches diminished in number and the
cavity of the mouth assumed a more or less healthy appearance. This result is interesting as
it seems to indicate that the stomatitis and the suppuration in the teeth sockets were caused
by the same organism, the streptococcus.