Abstract
During convalescence from many infectious diseases the blood contains antibodies that are capable of conferring passive immunity. Transfer of convalescent human blood, plasma or serum to a susceptible recipient before or during exposure or in the incubation period of a number of diseases may give either complete protection or attenuation. In a smaller number of infections, therapeutic benefit may also be anticipated from convalescent human serum. The difficulty of obtaining such serum in sufficient amounts, however, and its cost must necessarily impose limitations on its use. Healthy adults afford a second and less limited source of human serum the value of which lies chiefly in the prevention and less frequently the treatment of the infectious diseases of childhood. The passive immunity that is transmitted transplacentally from the mother to the new-born infant is lost during the first year of life. Acquisition of active immunity occurs slowly and reaches its maximum
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