THE SERUM TREATMENT OF EPIDEMIC CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS, BASED ON A SERIES OF FORTY CONSECUTIVE CASES.

Abstract

This report is based on a series of forty consecutive cases of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis treated with Dr. Flexner's antimeningitis serum. All cases in which the Diplococcus intracellularis was found in the cerebrospinal fluid, without regard to the type of case or stage of disease, are included in the series. Sixteen cases occurred in the Children's Hospital in the service of Dr. Rotch, eight cases occurred in various other hospitals in cities and towns of Massachusetts, and sixteen cases occurred in private practice. CONDITIONS OF ADMINISTRATION. The antiserum was administered in all cases by injection into the cerebrospinal canal according to the technic recommended by Dr. Flexner and described in a previous publication. 1 As soon as a suspected case was reported to me, lumbar puncture was at once performed. If the cerebrospinal fluid obtained was cloudy, the antiserum was injected at once, without waiting for the bacteriologic examination of