THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF CONVALESCENT SERUM IN SCARLET FEVER

Abstract

The Milwaukee Convalescent Serum Center, in the Columbia Hospital, since its establishment in February 1935 has made pooled human convalescent serum available for use in the prevention and treatment of various contagious diseases. The largest demand has been for serum from persons convalescent from scarlet fever, although there have been calls also for measles, mumps, acute poliomyelitis, chickenpox and normal serum. The method of collecting, preparing and dispensing serum from patients convalescent from scarlet fever has been described,¹ and the methods of administration, the amounts recommended and the preliminary results have been discussed.² Further results obtained with the serum have been recorded through the use of follow-up cards sent to physicians who cared for the patients to whom the serum was given. The response to the questionnaire has been excellent. Only 29 of the 333 questionnaires sent out for information on the therapeutic results of scarlet fever serum