The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-12

arising from poison circulating in the
blood.
Two New York Girls Saved by the
Serum.
Now, let me take up my own case,
and another in which l was consulted,
upon both of which l have recently
used the scarlet fever serum with sue
cess.
The first was a seven months
child of healthy parents, brought up
on patent baby food after her first
four months of life. Although only
six years old. she has already recov-
cred from one case of pneumonia, and
is susceptible to tonsilitis and bron-
chttis. When she was stricken with
scarlet fever early last February, 1
had grave doubts that any treatment
whatever could save her life. AS is
usual in this disease, the kidneys and
bowels refused to work altogether,
serum, and from that time on these
organs worked naturally. The usual
asceptic method was carried out to
avoid local infection. The child's
condition improved gradually, and to-
day she is as we'll as she has ever
been.
The second case, in which 1 was
called in consultation with another
physician, was an eight-year-old girl,
who had been sick three days, and
whose temperature was 104 degrees
Her pulse was weak and rapid. A
very intense eruption covered the en-
tire body. Large necrotic patches
covered the throat. l gave an inJec-
ton of the scarlet fever serum. On
the second visit. noticed the entire
disappearance of necrotic patches of
the throat and the disappearance of
the obstruction of other functions
identiC1l with my own case. am in
formed that the child has almost re-
covered.
Il do not hesitate to say" continued
DR.. Fischer. that, given proper food,
proper nursing, and proper hygienic
surroundings, patients may be cured
of scarlet fever with the new serum
as surely as they are of diphtheria
with anti-toxin. All of us can remem
Der when diphtheria was a disease all
parents dreaded. 1t ws& regarded as
surely fatal. Now, by the use of Sc
rum, we see children in the last stages
cured in a few days. This is the case
at almost every hospital.
Only Three Deaths in Fifty-Eight
Cases.
"Dr. Baginsky has kept a careful
record of his success with the scarlet
fever serum. In the first group of
cases, nineteen in all, he had only one
death. In the second group, five cases,
he had no death. In the third group,
eighteen cases, he had one death, and
in the fourth group, sixteen cases, one
death. This makes a total of fifty
eight cases and three deaths, or AZ
per cent.
IT understand that a number Of
physicians in this country have sent
for some of the Aronson serum and
are experimenting with 1t. In careful
and experienced hands, 1 see no rea-
son why the results should not be as
satisfactory here as they have been
abroad.
1.-THE specific action of anti-toxin in
diphtheria is far greater, compare
lively, than the action attained from
the use of this scarlet fever serum 1t
is too soon for me to form definite
conclusions upon the after effects of
the treatment, based upon an expert
ence of only two cases. But the clint
cal results were certainly striking.
The effect of the serum on the tenn
perature shows that it did inhibit bac-
terlal products.
Another interesting observation, In
both cases, was the almost melting
away of the necrotic membranes af
ter the fourth day. The temperature
came down gradually. The glands of
the neck, in both cases. were swollen
and subsidized with the disappearance
of throat manifestations. DR.. Bagin-
sky maintains that all in all. there
are no disagreeable effects from this
new serum. The fever, even in severe
forms, declined stadily and without
interruption from complications.
1T is too early, yet" concluded DR..
Fischer, ito form an opinion on the
value of the new Flexner- serum for
dysentery and cholera infantum, ex-
periments on which are going on at
the Rockefeller Institute in Baltimore,
and also in Philadelphia. Let us all
hope that successful results may come
from it. Prof. Flexner is not a man
to make unwarranted statements. If
he can work out his discovery, it will
be the means Of saving thousands of
children from death"
Placing the Dinner Guests-BerthA
How shall we seat the famous an
tiquarian collector" Ethel--"Oh. put
him next to grandmama; she'll tell