PYROGENS
Authors: P. W. C.
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1951)

Editorial1 March 1951PYROGENSP. W. C.P. W. C.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-34-3-816 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe term pyrogen was applied by Burdon-Sanderson in 1875 to a hypothetical substance in bacteria-free extracts of putrid meat, which caused fever on injection into animals. Occasional similar observations attracted little attention until Wechselman (1911) showed that the febrile reactions following the administration of solutions of arsphenamine were due to contamination of the distilled water, presumably bacterial. They could be avoided by the use of water sterilized immediately after distillation.This aroused widespread interest, and it was soon shown that a similar mechanism was involved in the reactions following injection of many other substances, including sodium chloride, glucose, immune sera,...1 BennettBeeson ILPB: The properties and biological effects of bacterial pyrogens, Medicine 29: 365-400, 1950. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2 MondolfoHounie HE: Sobre el origen del pirógeno bacteriano, Día méd. 19: 1724-1725, 1947. Google Scholar3 TuiSchrift CMH: A tentative test for pyrogens in infusion fluids, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med. 49: 320-323, 1942. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4 ChasisGoldringSmith HWHW: Reduction of blood pressure associated with the pyrogenic reaction in hypertensive subjects, J. Clin. Investigation 21: 369-376, 1942. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5 Grollman A: Variations in the cardiac output of man. V. The cardiac output of man during the malaise and pyrexia following the injection of typhoid vaccine, J. Clin. Investigation 8: 25-32, 1929. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6 Bradley SE: Hemodynamic alterations in normotensive and hypertensive subjects during the pyrogenic reaction, J. Clin. Investigation 24: 749-758, 1945. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7 Beeson PB: Tolerance to bacterial pyrogens. II. Rôle of the reticulo-endothelial system, J. Exper. Med. 86: 39-44, 1947. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8 Holloman AL: Reactions of patients and of tumors to injections of Serratia marcescens polysaccharide in eight cases of malignant disease, Approaches to tumor therapy, Am. Assoc. Advancement Sc. 1947, 273-276. Google Scholar9 Oakey R: Reactions of patients to injection of Serratia marcescens polysaccharide in nine further cases of malignant disease, Approaches to tumor therapy, Am. Assoc. Advancement Sc. 1947, 277-278. Google Scholar10 PageTaylor IHRD: Pyrogens in the treatment of malignant hypertension, Mod. Concepts Cardiovas. Dis. 18: 51-52, 1947. Google Scholar11 TaylorCorcoranPage RDACIH: Further experience with bacterial pyrogens in the treatment of malignant hypertension, J. Lab. and Clin. Med. 34: 1756-1757, 1949. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 March 1951Volume 34, Issue 3Page: 816-819KeywordsDistillationFeversGlucoseMeatSodium chloride ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 March 1951 PDF downloadLoading ...