Abstract
Further studies have been made with the Dick test along the following lines:
1. Results with the test among special groups of children and adults.
2. Study of the control test with heated toxin and with toxin neutralized with convalescent serum.
3. Study of scarlet fever cases during convalescence.
4. Study of toxins produced by special strains of hemolytic streptococci.
5. Retest of a group of children actively immunized with increasing doses of scarlet fever streptococcus toxin.
1. The application of the Dick test to a group of 320 children at the Horace Mann School and at the Riverdale Country School, New York City, has shown a very high percentage of susceptible individuals in this class of children coming from the more well-to-do homes. The test showed that of 320 children varying in age from 5 to 18 years, 266 or 83.0 per cent were susceptible and gave a positive reaction. The Dick test was also given to 80 nurses at St. Vincent's Hospital, and of these 42 or 52.5 per cent showed a positive reaction. The nurses at this hospital had been previously tested with the Schick test and 55 per cent were found susceptible to diphtheria. A group of babies were tested at the Heckscher Foundation with the following interesting results :
Of a group of 4570 individuals varying in age from a few weeks to over 20 years we found that 1543 or 34.4 per cent gave a positive Dick reaction. Up to 6 months the percentage of positive reactions was 44.8; from 6 months to 3 years it ranged from 64 to 71 per cent; from 3 to 5 years between 46 to 56 per cent and from 5 to 20 years between 24 to 37 per cent.
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