The relation of streptococci to scarlet fever and its complications / [R.A. O'Brien, C.C. Okell].

  • O'Brien, Richard Alfred, 1878-1970.
Date:
[1926?]
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: The relation of streptococci to scarlet fever and its complications / [R.A. O'Brien, C.C. Okell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Reprinted from the British Medical Journal, Sept 18th, 1926. THE RELATION OF STREPTOCOCCI TO SCARLET FEVER AND ITS COMPLICATIONS.* I.—R. A. O’BRIEN, C.B.E., M.D.Melb., Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent. The title of our discussion assumes that a relationship exists between streptococci and scarlet fever. It may be of service to sum up the grounds for the acceptance of this assumption and for our personal belief that streptococci are the cause of scarlet fever. Haemolytic streptococci have been found practically always present in true scarlet fever. Clinical scarlet fever has been produced (according to the statements of the Drs. Dick) by the swabbing of cultures of these streptococci on to the tonsils of susceD- tible people; a culture filtrate or “ toxin ” prepared from the streptococci gives reactions which are specifically related to scarlet fever, for practically all patients, in the earliest stage of the disease, give a positive response to the intra- cutaneous injection of the toxin, and during convalescence, when their immunity is developed, the great majority of ■patients give a negative response; the serum of animals immunized with these streptococci or their toxins, when injected intracutaneously, produces the specific blanching of a scarlet fever rash ; finally, the serum of immunized animals has what, in the opinion of medical men with long training in the observation and treatment of infectious fevers, amounts to a specific curative action. This “ con¬ fession of faith ” will cause a certain repetition in the logical consideration of our subject, but it has appealed advisable to define at the outset what is believed to be the ground already won. When the subject of our discussion was chosen, some months ago, it was fervently hoped that before this meeting a test applicable in the laboratory for the measurement of scarlet fever toxin and antitoxin would have been dis¬ covered, and that with such a test we should have been able to clear up many uncertainties. That hope proved vain, for no satisfactory test has yet been found. In conse¬ quence we shall be obliged to some extent rather to formu¬ late questions than to add much to our common stock of knowledge. We are to inquire, What is the relation of the Strepto- * Two of the papers read in t he Section of Pathology and Bacteriology at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, Nottingham, 1926, [290/26]
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