Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-24
FOR SCARLET FEVER
Claim That a Real Cure Has
Been Discovered
BY SERUM TREATMENT
HAS PROVED A SUCCESS IN A
NUMBER OF CASES.
Would Seem to Have Passed Beyond
the Experimental
Stage.
BY SERUM TREATMENT

Since their bitter disappointment over the
failure of Koch's tuberculine as cure for
consumption, in 1891. medical men have
been somewhat conservative about the
serum treatment as a specific for disease
In the summer of the same year. when
anti-toxin was placed before a medical con-
gress In London as a specific for diphtheria.
It was scoffed at by eminent skeptics. 1t
took three years to get this discovery be-
yond the experimental stage into the citn-
les, but no one now disputes its efficacy.
The greatest discovery in the field of
medical science since that time has been
the scarlet fever serum. or anti-streptococ-
Gus. as the doctors call 1t. True. Japa-
nese student In Berlin. DR.. Kitsato. has
dropped in during the interval with ms
serum for lOckjaw. and 1t has proved as
successful in Its results as antt-toxln 1of
dipththeria: but 1t does not compare In I'M
portance with the serum cure for dfph-
liberia or for scarlet fever
The scarlet fever serum, like the serums
that precede 1t, was discovered by Berlin
medical scientists. The Marmornek scarlet
fever serum was experimental with seven
years ago, and found wanting. Some OF II
was sent to America and experiments MADE
with it by Dr. Louis Fischer of the wizard
Parker and Riverside Hospitals New York
city, associated with other physicians, for
the benefit of the New York board OF
health. The serum proved as weak ana
disappointing Kochs tuberculine A
report was made to the board that the ply
sicians were not justified in either using or
recommending the use of the scarlet fever
serum and that the indiscriminate sale or
it should be prohibited until clinical expe-
rience established it's true therapeutic
value.
American Experiments Successful.
Now there is a different tale to tell.
Within the past few weeks higher de-
velopment of the scarlet fever serum has
been experimental with by DR.. Fischer.
and with unqualified success.
1.-THE result" said DIR. Fischer in an inter-
view, takes the scarlet fever serum out
of the experimental and puts 1t into the
clinical stage. 1t proves. In my opinion:
and in the opinion of many other medical
men of my acquaintance, that the serum
cure is the therapeutic agent of the future.
1t is triumph for the prophylactic tend
ency of modern medicine-that is, tendency
to prevent disease rather than to cure 1t.
I'm very short time 1 firmly believe the
value of the scarlet fever serum Will be as
undisputed as the diphtheria serum is now.
believe that it will be adopted by boards
of health throughout the country. l have
tried its effect on two cases, one of them
which appeared to be hopeless. and the re-
suits were all that could be desired.
perhaps, at the fourteenth international
medical congress. which will be held at
Madrid next May some of the Berlin bac-
teriologists will tell of their progress with
the serum and the world will hear some
thing more of another great discovery In
medical science. l am going to the con-
gress, and it is my intention afterward to
60 to Berlin and see DR.. Hans AronSon,
with whose serum have been recently ex-
Derimenting. ts.