Page:Journal of ophthalmology, otology and laryngology (IA journalofophthal2319amer).pdf/25



EARLY eight years ago when the air was full of Wright’s reports on the use of specially prepared cultures of various bacteria for the production of immunity, and thereby the cure of certain chronic suppurations, I became interested enough to spend some time in the laboratory of Dr. \W. H. Watters, of Boston University, studying the preparation of autogenous vaccines, and watching results from their use in a great many cases of infection at the Mass. Hom. Hospital.

At this time they were treating all cases of wound infection in the hospital and out-patient department, both acute and chronic, with autogenous vaccines, after administering the usual surgical treatment or establishing drainage. In the out-patient department tuberculin, too, had been revived only in much smaller doses than heretofore, and was being used in all children and young adults who exhibited positive Von Dirquet.

Watters and his associates were enthusiastic workers in the new line, and it was small wonder that I left the place with the feeling that radical mastoids, Killians, Caldwell-Lucs, and so forth. would soon be relegated to the ash heap, and in place of the knife, the chisel and curette, the hypodermic syringe would reign supreme. Since then I have had a varied experience with vaccines. A convert to autogenous products, | began to spend much time and some little money in at- tempting to isolate and grow the causative agent in my chronic sup- purative cases, otorrheas, sinus infections, etc., and cure them, without operation, and with what I know now was poor success and in some cases poorer judgment. For instance, I spent nearly all one winter in connection with Dr. Jacobs treating a patient who had a staphy- lococcie attic suppuration with recurrent acute attacks of pain and