Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
1. The only instance in the Pittsburgh community in which vaccination
was completed before the epidemic appeared is that reported from the
Dixmont Hospital, Dixmont, Pa., and furnished me through the courtesy of
Dr. Hutchinson (16). The institution had a population of about 1,000
patients and 300 employees. Prophylactic vaccination was begun on
October 20, and was completed about November 6. Each c.c. of the vaccine
used contained 200,000,000 each of B. Pfeiffer, Micrococcus Catarrhalis,
B. Friedlander, Pneumococci, Streptococci and Staphylococci, both Aureus
and Albus. Four doses were given of 4 minims, 8 minims, 12 minims and 16
minims, respectively. Inoculations were carried out at four-day
intervals. Owing to the isolation of the institution from the general
community, the first case did not appear until two weeks later—namely,
on November 20. The results are shown by the table.
Population. No. of % of No. of % of
Cases. Cases. Deaths. Deaths.
Vaccinated 600 44 7.3% 0 0%
Unvaccinated 700 69 9.8% 9 1.2%
None of the vaccinated patients developed pneumonia, though there were
15 cases among the unvaccinated.
This experiment shows a slight percentage in favor of vaccination, and
indicates that there was some decrease in the severity of the secondary
infections.
2. The experiment reported by McCoy, Murray and Teeter (17) showed quite
opposite results from the above, and was an excellent example of a small
though completely controlled test. In an asylum for the insane in San
Francisco all of the patients under 41 years of age were divided into
two groups—one group was kept as controls and the other was given a
vaccine furnished by F. O. Tonney, of the Chicago Health Department. The
vaccine contained 500,000,000 each of B. Influenza, Pneumococcus I, II
and III, 1,500,000,000 Pneumococcus IV, 1,000,000,000 Streptococcus
Hæmolyticus and 500,000,000 Staphylococci. Doses of 0.5 c.c., 1 c.c. and
1½ c.c., which were given at 48–hour intervals. Inoculation was
completed on November 15, and the first case of influenza appeared on
November 26. The table shows the result.
Vaccinated. Not Vaccinated.
Persons in group 390 390
Cases of influenza 119 103
Cases of pneumonia 23 17
Number of deaths 10 7
3. The report of Minaker and Irvine (18) included several groups of men,
the first two of which apparently belonged in our first series. They
used a vaccine, each c.c. of which contained 5,000,000,000 B. Pfeiffer,
3,000,000,000 each of Pneumococcus I and II, 1,000,000,000 Pneumococcus
III, 100,000,000 Streptococcus Hæmolyticus. In all, they vaccinated
11,179 persons.
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