Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-14
FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE
By H, Addington Bruce

TN HE story back of the Dick test hailed
as giving promise Of ultimate mastery
"A of scarlet fever, is a story of much
human as we'll as scientific interest 1t is
story Of uncommon ingenuity, patience and
willingness to render sacrificing service
1t had it's beginning more than twelve years
ago, when the two Dicks-Dr. George f. Dick
and DR.. Gladys H. Dick-studying the liter
allure bearing scarlet fever, observed that
disease-germs Of certain type, hemolytic
streptococci, were seemingly associated with
all cases. Also they observed that in all cases
there gradually developed an immunity against
these germs.
The precise cause Of scarlet fever was then
unknown, and the Dicks rightly deemed it
worth while to undertake experiments tending
to rule or establish the hemolytic streptococcus
as it's cause. To this end they inoculated va
rious anmas-g uinea-pigs, rabbits, mice ETC.
with various cultures from scarlet fever pa
| TENTS.
The results were almost entirely negative
An occasional rash developed in the inoculated
animals, but no definite and unmistakable
case Of scarlet fever This suggested one of
two things. Either the Dicks were on the
wrong trail, or animals class possessed a
| high natural resistance to the streptococcus
supposedly responsible for scarlet fever
In the latter case the logical next step
would be to substitute human beings for ami
mails as subjects Of experiment. This is what
! the Dicks actually did, calling for and obtain
ing volunteers willing to run the risk of con
tracing scarlet fever in the interest of med
ical progress and human welfare.
For time results were negative as before
! IF no VIOLIN
tions developing sore throat and a temper
allure, but not the typical rash of scarlet fever
But, bearing in mind the probability of vary.
ing natural immunity, the Dicks persevered
Success in the way of producing experimental
scarlet fever finally crowned their efforts.
Even then some doubt remained as to the
4 identity of the agent responsible for the dis
ease. For it was possible that this was not
the hemolytic streptococcus but a filterable
virus associated with it in the culture used
for incubation. Here is how the Dicks FRO.
ceeded to resolve this doubt as told in their
own words:
"A second group of volunteers was inoculated
with the same culture after it had been passed
through Berkefeld V filter These YoIun
teers remained we'll
after about two weeks had elapsed, and
they were still well, they were inoculated with
the unfiltered culture Forty-eight hours later
one of them developed scarlet fever
This experiment furnished evidence that
the experimental disease had not been caused
by filterable virus, but by the hemolytic
streptococcus itself"
1t was in 1912 that the Dicks began their
researches. Their first cases Of experimental
scarlet fever were not obtained-or, at least
not reEorted-until late in 1873. This record
/ Of patient, persistent effort is surely most i'm.
/ pressiVe.
| Even more impressive Is the record OF un-
flinching courage the part of those who
/ served as volunteer subjects. They were run
ming risks they fully appreciated, yet they
ran them 1t is much to be regretted that
they remain in the medical reports of the ex-
periments, among the unnamed brave
(COrVri ght. 1924)