ORAL RAGWEED POLLEN THERAPY

Abstract

The evident disadvantages of hypodermic administration—discomfort, expense and liability to reactions-have resulted in repeated attempts to substitute oral administration in immunotherapy. Much has been said concerning the oral use of typhoid vaccine, cold vaccines and extracts of poison ivy. Although there is no evidence of great effectiveness of this method in the prevention of typhoid, the common cold and rhus dermatitis, the simplicity of the procedure has aroused interest among members of the medical profession and the public. It is but natural, therefore, that for a disease as common as hay fever such treatment should be suggested and tried. In 1922 Touart¹reported the results of treatment of 6 patients with hay fever by daily ingestion of a tablet containing 0.1 mg. of pollen protein coated with phenyl salicylate. The patient with allergy to grass pollen obtained relief, but only 1 of those with allergy to ragweed pollen was