Pharmacological Studies on the Blood of Trachoma

Abstract

The writer has reported his phytopharmacological studies on blood sera from various clinical conditions and described characteristic phytotoxic reactions produced by such specimens from certain diseases. These reactions were found useful in establishing a differential diagnosis and also in evaluating the results of therapeutic procedures. Such specific phytotoxic reactions were particularly noted in pernicious anemia, leprosy, and pemphigus., This method of investigation has been repeatedly employed by Professor Leon Tscherkes of Odessa, who has confirmed Macht's findings. Some time ago, in a personal communication to the author, Professor Tscherkes wrote that he had discovered that blood sera from still another pathological condition exhibited a marked phytotoxic property for the seedlings of Lupinus albus—namely, trachoma. Since this discovery was of considerable importance, the present writer undertook a study of blood sera from a series of trachoma cases in the United States in order to corroborate the findings of Tscherkes. Specimens of blood from trachoma patients in all stages of the disease were obtained from different sources. A few blood sera were obtained from sporadic cases in Baltimore; for the most part, however, specimens were secured through the courtesy of public health officers in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indian Territory. According to the method described in detail elsewhere, these blood sera were tested on seedlings of Lupinus albus; and the phytotoxic indices of trachoma blood were compared with those given by normal human sera and by sera from various other ophthalmological diseases obtained, with permission of Professor Wilmer, from the Wilmer Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. The results obtained with specimens from 100 trachoma cases are indicated below. At the time of examination, in 30 cases, the disease had endured for periods ranging from one month to one year; in 10 cases, it had persisted from 10 to 20 years; in 8 cases for more than 20 years; and, in 3 cases, for more than 40 years.