Combined Anesthesia and Hyperimmune Serum Therapy in the Treatment of Experimental Western Equine Encephalomyelitis

Abstract

Either intraperit. injn. of hyperimmune rabbit serum or deep ether anesthesia administered beginning 18 hrs. following intracerebral inoculation of virus effects a significant change in survival rate among Swiss mice infected with western equine encephalomyelitis. That amt. of virus was used which produced encephalitis in 80% of the control animals. 20% of the control animals survived the observation period of 10 days as compared with 52% of the serum-treated animals and 61.5% of the etherized animals. A combination of the 2 methods was more effective than either method alone, resulting in a survival of 90.7% of the animals.