Middletown transcript., 1915-06-19
TUBERCULAR SERUM
A Physician Has Made a Won
derful Discovery
IMMUNITY FROM THE MALADY


IMMUNITY FROM THE MALADY
SEATTLE, Wash, June 15 DR. En-
rico Casteli, special delegate from the
Faculty of Medicine of Genoa, Italy, to
the Medical Profession of the United
States, announced at today's meeting
of the Pathological section of the Ma
tional Association for the study and
Prevention of Tuberculosis, method
of serum diagnosis of tuberculosis, per-
fected by himself and his colleagues at
the University of Genoa. He stated
that by this test he was able to deter
mine the amount of tuberculosis infec-
ton, the degree of immunity against
the disease, how much tuberculosis
matter must be introduced into the
body to obtain immunity and how long
this immunity will last.
He predicted that in less than so
years time immunity from tuberculosis
would be as thoroughly accomplished as
in the case of smallpox. He said:
"We have applied successfully the
method of vaccination against tubercu-
losis, conceived for the first time by
Maragliano in 1903. We are able now
to apply this vaccination on large
scale among human beings and animals
and we have shown that we can even
vaccinate pregnant women and animals
and obtain products of conception show
ing features of complete immunization.
We also have vaccinated babies during
the first six months of life, when the
body shows a natural immunity against
tuberculosis infection, and we have OBJ
tanned an immunity which in some
cases has proved to be still active four
years after the first incubation of vac
cine.
"More important still, acting on the
knowledge that much of the tubercu-
lous infection in infancy is contracted
through milk, which forms the princi-
pal element of infant diet, we concluded
that if we adopted for the feeding of
babies milk obt aimed either from mmu-
nized animals or vaccinated mothers,
we would eliminate the principal source
of infection of this disease. The first
six months of life is the best period for
storing the new organism with all the
material defense necessary to reach
against future possible infection. In
our opinion, the baby that is made inn
mune through the vaccination of the
mother and self-Vaeeination, and kept
in a condition of active reactivity
against possible infection by the feed
ing of immunized milk, is a victim
stolen from tuberculosis. We have
succeeded in training a group of far.
mers in the Province of Genoa in the
technique of immunization of animals
and have demonstrated to then
that the milk thus obtained does moi
change, neither in taste nor in it's nour
ishing qualities.
"We feel thot we are in position now
to master in logical and systematic
way the problem of prophylaXis of tu
berculosis and that We have ncqui red I
better understanding of its treatment
The Faculty of Genoa is convinced tha
by applying to the prevention of tuber
culosis all the means at our disposal il
less than so years from now WI
would accomplish in tuberculosis wha
Jenner has accomplished in small
poX AS part of campaign which WI
had planned in Italy before the war
using the Board of Health as agencies
we recommended the following pro
gram:
l. An extensive anl regular use o
serum diagnosis in hospitals, dispense
ries, ahd private practice to secur
earlier recognition of tuberculosis.
2. Compulsory vaccination of al
babies under six months of age. TIL
vaccination has been proven absolutel.
harmless,
3, Advising vaccination of wome
! WllO are aDOhb " nave ShlluICHs
: a. Establishment of farms and DAN
les supplying immunized milk fcr eX
elusive use of children or adults show
ing evidences of tuberculosis.
5. Vaccination of pregnant cows t
secure immunized products of concer
tion.
u 6. The administration to tubercI
: losis patients of the whole blood of in
u munized animals, including serum an
+ corpuscles. We have shown that M
; only is the serum of immunize animal
impregnated with anti bodies, but ais
the other elements of blood as wei
We have been able to perfect techn
que of modification which makes tt
- blood less disagreeabe and more app
tizing than in it's natural form.
O.