apparently obviates many of the drawbacks of Haffkine's. They dissolve agar-agar plate cultures of Bacillus pestis in 1-per-cent. solution of caustic potash, precipitate the nucleo-proteins so dissolved by weak acetic or hydrochloric acid, collect the precipitate, wash and dry it in vacua. This substance, apparently, can be kept for an indefinite time. The dose for a man is about 3 mg. Before injecting it subcutaneously, it is dissolved in a convenient quantity of 0.5-per-cent. solution of carbonate of soda. Its injection is followed by marked local and general reaction, and in the case of the lower animals by at least temporary immunity from plague. Favourable results have been obtained in man.
Klein advocated a prophylactic prepared by drying plague spleens at 47° C. over sulphuric acid. Ten to 15 mg. of this protects rats against virulent plague injections.
Strong prepared a vaccine by prolonged subcultivation of plague bacilli, or by cultivation on unfavourable media. Using the resulting living bacteria, he inoculated forty -two criminals. Beyond local and general reaction no harm ensued.
Other forms of antiplague vaccine have been introduced, but, so far, Haffkine's holds the field.
Treatment.— Hitherto the treatment of plague has been mainly symptomatic. In attempting to relieve symptoms the asthenic tendencies of the disease must ever be borne in mind, and depressant remedies of all kinds carefully avoided.
During the earlier stages, when headache and perhaps high fever are urgent, much relief may be obtained from ice-bags to the head and neck. If it be deemed advisable to attempt to lower the temperature, sponging of the body every hour with warm water is a much safer measure than the employment of such antipyretics as antipyrin and similar drugs. Vomiting, according to Lowson, is usually relieved by a full dose of calomel followed by a saline. If this does not succeed, or if diarrhœa be present, he recommends ice pills and an effervescing mixture containing morphia and hydrocyanic acid. Sinapisms
