THE DETERMINATION OF THE VALUE OF SERUM IN THE TREATMENT FOR MENINGOCOCCUS MENINGITIS: REPORT OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE SERIES OF CASES

This is a report of a series of cases of epidemic meningococcus meningitis in the Babies' Wards of the New York Post-Graduate Hospital during 1928. It demonstrates some of the difficulties still to be faced in the successful serum treatment for this disease. Cerebrospinal meningitis, first reported in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1805, by Viensseau and first reported in the United States in 1806, 1 has since been constantly present in the civilized world in endemic and in epidemic form. Previous to the use of the serum treatment for the disease the mortality rate ranged between 25 and 90 per cent, depending on the severity of the infection. No treatment was of avail. Quincke opened up a new method of approach when he introduced the lumbar puncture as a therapeutic procedure in 1891. The intraspinous use of chemicals was attempted, but was not attended with success. 2 During the epidemic of