A note on the preparation of anti-colon streptococcus serum

Abstract

About two years ago, Dr. H. A. Cotton requested that I should undertake for him the preparation of a combined Anti-Colon Streptococcus Serum prepared from horses treated with cultures of B. Coli and Streptococci isolated from cases under treatment at the New Jersey State Hospital, Trenton, N. J.

A certain number of cases under treatment at that institution have been found to yield pure cultures of streptococci of diverse types and also strains of B. Coli. These organisms are obtained from material removed at operation such as tonsils, extracted teeth, lymph glands, especially those found in the mesentery of the colon, and other material from the abdominal cavity.

The treatment of the horse was with eleven strains of B. Coli and eight strains of streptococci, most of which belonged to the hemolytic group.

The immunization was begun with small doses of the killed organisms, but after several weeks the use of live cultures was adopted. It was found that the injections of the mixed antigens of the two bacteria were followed in some instances by severe reactions in the horse and that when the antigens were given on different days that the colon antigens were not tolerated as well as the streptococcus antigens. The injection of the colon bacilli induced such violent reactions in some instances that recourse was finally had to the method of preparing the antigen suggested by the author for the preparation of anti-meningococcic and anti-pneumo-coccic sera.

The plan of treatment as finally decided upon was the injection of washed broth cultures of streptococci and washed agar cultures of colon bacilli. The two antigens were suspended in salt solution and given intravenously for four injections on successive days followed by a rest period of three days when the injections with gradually increasing amounts were repeated.

After the horse had been under treatment for about 8 weeks, a trial bleeding was made and the titre of the serum determined by the use of the agglutination test as used by the Hygienic Laboratory for the testing of Anti-Meningococcic Serum.