SCARLATINA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 70, 16 December 1907, Page 7

SCARLATINA.

SERMU CURE. ON TRIAL IN NEW ZEALAND. . BI TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTBIQHT. London, December 13. A scarlatina serum has been discovered by Professor Marpmahn, of Leipsic. There have.been marvellous cures in nearly every case where the serum has been used at tho Vienna Polyclinic.

THE SERUM IN WELLINGTON. , HOW IT IS MADE. The production of the scarlet fever cure, referred to in the above cablegram, is tho result of- many years' labours. Professor Marpmann has r devoted his life to chemical and bacteriological research, and has achioVed another success with hi.i'"scarlatina serum." Ho ranks among the foremost of chemists in Germany, ana is well known as the writer of a number of scientific books on his special subjects. . . ; .

BLOOD OF IMMUNISED ANIMALS. The 6carlet fever serum mentioned hero is extracted from the blood of immunised animals. For this purpoeo, nnimals are inoculated, somo with the blood of scarlet fever patients, others with scales from the desquamating, skin,'bo as: to yiold animals protected in the' first,''Be'coiidi.'thinl 1 , and - fourth-degrees. Thus, immuni6ed'"ariimals;iare -eventually obtained,/rand roni'T' thomi'ia/takon --the,., fiorum which is attenuated by moans of hydrogen poroxido. ' ; ■ ■ <■••■■. ■ Professor Marpmann is a i brother-in-law of Mr. Henry Joosten, of Jeosten and Muri'e, inderit merchants, well know in this city, and of Mr. Karl Joosten, in Christchurch. Mr. Honry Joosten was at Hoiao recently,'. and took great interest , in tho researches of iiis relative. He brought out with him a sample of this serum; which he placed at the ulbBosal of Dr. Mason, Chief Health Officer, and r. Bwart; of Wellington Hospital, ns well as with some other. medical mon, who aro now giving it a trial here.

PATHOLOGICAL RESEARCH. It is almost twelve years, sinceßohring ilts<!overed .diphtheria anti-toxin, and completely revolutionised the method of treating tho disease. Since then all tho other acute infective diseases have been studied with a view to the discovery of similar preventive or curative remedies. The attention of pathologists was directed very particularly to. the study of scarlet fover, since, with the exception of diphtheria, this disease claims mpro victoms than any other acute infectious disease. The Chief difficulty in the way of the production of an effective serum for scarlet fever was duo ;to the fact that tha specific cause of the disease. was not discovered, and so it , was not possible, to obtain pure cultures. Tho attempts to discover the "causo of scarlet fever did some good, for the numerous Inoculations' porformed upon animals proved which parts of the human organism acted as carriers of the specific poison. It was proved that the ohief Carriers were the desquamating skin and- the blood; but that the urino also carried the peculiar, poison, while, on the other hand, tf"> small collections of matter in the follicles of the tonsils were due to secondary infection ' by' streptococci. There can no longer be any donbt- that tho streptococcus pyogenes is not- the cause of scarlet fever, as was assumed , for a time, but that the diseaso predisposes the body to tho action of that parnsitOi ,' «.