The treatment of plague with Prof. Lustig's serum / by N.H. Choksy.

  • Choksy, N. H.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment of plague with Prof. Lustig's serum / by N.H. Choksy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    LETTER TO THE LANCET ON LUSTiG'S SERUM IN THE TREATMENT OF PLAGUE. The following letter appeared in the La?]cef, September 1900, in reply to certain criticisms on the subject, from its Special Correspondent in India :— Professor Lustig reached Bombay in June, 1897, after the first epidemic of plague had run its course. A few sporadic cases, however, existed, and these were placed at his disposal for treatment with a curative serum he had brought with him from Florence. The results proved extremely satis- factory. As material for further observation was not available in Bombay, he proceeded up-country and treated some thirty cases with results equally satisfactory. When, some time after his return to Florence, he learnt that another epidemic had broken out, he offered to prepare and send down some serum with a view to test its efficacy on a sufficiently large scale, and it is needless to say that his offer was thankfully accepted by the Corpora- tion. Early in March, 1898, Dr. (now Professor) Galeotti and Dr. Polverini arrived in Bombay with a quantity of serum, and as the epidemic Vi^as at its height, arrangements were made to begin at once with the serum treat- ment. As the supply of serum was to reach Bombay from time to time and at irregular intervals, and was to be limited, and as the objects then in view were to test its value on a clinical basis and to watch its effects from day to day on the more pronounced symptoms of plague, the following procedure was adopted in treating the cases. All moribund cases (those in whom the action of the heart had become gravely impaired and exhibited signs of failure or impending failure) and as also all convalescents and semi-con- valescents were excluded from the treatment. The first series of observations lasted from March to November, 1898, and again from February to May, 1899. During the course of this period 403 patients received the serum treatment and 1,190 patients were treated by ordinary methods. The clinical effects of the serum were watched from day to day, and although in some very grave and advanced cases the patients ultimately succumbed, the immediate effects on the general condi- tion of the patients were extremely well marked, and this indicated either that the dose of the serum was too small, or that it was not strong enough, or that the treatment was commenced too late. But on the whole the improve- ment was quite perceptible and gratifying. When at the termination of these observations the results were tabulated, it was found that the serum-treated cases had a recovery rate of 38-2 per cent., whereas in those not so treat- ed it was 19-5 per cent. only. The latter rate was, however, not less than that of the other large public hospitals, and the combined admissions num- bering 4,762 in two of the largest during the same period had a recovery rate of 197 per cent., and thus it becomes apparent that the exclusion of
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