Abstract
Summary
Concentrated gamma globulin was administered at monthly intervals to one-half of a group of 70 medical students throughout a single respiratory disease season from early October to late May. The incidence of attacks of acute respiratory disease was reduced 40% in the experimental subjects as compared with the controls. The severity of the illnesses was significantly decreased in the experimental subjects as compared with their previous season experience.
The reactions to the injections were mild and consisted primarily of local soreness at the site, lasting one day in the majority of the students. No jaundice of hepatitis was observed.
The primary object of this small clinical trial of concentrated gamma globulin was not to discover a method of preventing colds, but to determine if possible, whether or not man is capable of forming neutralizing substances for some of the undifferentiated respiratory diseases. A cumulative effect of repeated injections was suggested by the results.
A statistical evaluation of the data shows a 2% or less probability of error, which would indicate that the results were significant.
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