COMBINED VACCINE AND TOXOID THERAPY OF STAPHYLOCOCCIC INFECTIONS OF THE SKIN

Abstract

In the experimental animal staphylococcus antitoxin increases the resistance of the skin against the necrotizing power of staphylococcus toxin (anatoxin). That this dermonecrotic action in man may also be neutralized by antitoxin is borne out by observations such as those of Stookey and Scarpellino.¹ The latter obtained a cure in 3 out of 6 cases of staphylococcic septicemia with necrosing cutaneous lesions by means of injections of staphylococcus antitoxin. In the common varieties of coccogenous dermatoses in which the staphylococcus plays a primary or secondary role it has never been satisfactorily proved that the clinical and pathologic picture can, in whole or in part, be accounted for by formation of toxin. The good results reported in the treatment of such infections by means of subcutaneous injections of increasing doses of staphylococcus toxoid (toxin detoxified with solution of formaldehyde) have ordinarily been attributed to an augmented antitoxic titer in the