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
From the above data, it is apparent that there is very little to
indicate that an immunity to epidemic influenza is conferred by the use
of a prophylactic vaccine composed of inert Pfeiffer bacilli alone. If a
desirable vaccine is to be obtained through the use of these organisms,
there must be radical changes in the mode of preparation of the vaccine
or in the size of the doses given.
_The Attempt to Protect Against Epidemic Influenza by the Use of Mixed
Vaccines_
For some years commercial houses have been carrying mixed vaccines for
the treatment of colds, which they called influenza vaccines. These
preparations were made up usually of six or more different varieties of
bacteria, and all of them were of similar composition. There was more or
less variation in the doses, both as far as the total number of bacteria
and the relative number of the different types were concerned. A typical
example of a so-called “mixed influenza vaccine” may be given about as
follows:
B. Influenza (Pfeiffer) 25 to 400 million per c.c.
M. Catarrhalis 25 to 400 million per c.c.
B. Friedlander 25 to 400 million per c.c.
Pneumococci 25 to 400 million per c.c.
Streptococci 25 to 400 million per c.c.
Staph. Albus-Aureus 50 to 800 million per c.c.
——— ————
Totals 175 to 2800 million per c.c.
These vaccines were recommended in the various catalogues for use either
alone or together with other vaccines in the prophylaxis and treatment
of common colds, and in acute and chronic diseases of the respiratory
tract. As a matter of fact, they had been used very little in
prophylaxis, and had failed to show very much value in treatment. In
discussing these vaccines from the standpoint of treatment, R. M. Pearce
(13) had the following to say: “A mixed vaccine for common ‘colds’
containing several organisms (staphylococcus, streptococcus,
pneumococcus, micrococcus catarrhalis group, bacillus of Friedlander
group, diphtheroid group, bacillus influenza) is one of the most recent
bacterial ‘shotgun’ mixtures, which takes the chance of one lucky
bull’s-eye in seven shots.” “No one can claim a scientific or even a
common-sense basis for the treatment of a cold by such a mixture.”
Catarrhal mixed vaccines of a similar kind were refused acceptance by
the committee on “New and Non-efficial Remedies” of the American Medical
Association, in June, 1918 (14), on the grounds that insufficient
evidence of their therapeutic value had been furnished by their
manufacturers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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