Recent progress in the serum diagnosis of syphilis / Howard Fox.

  • Fox, Howard, 1873-1947.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Recent progress in the serum diagnosis of syphilis / Howard Fox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    creased to nearly 90 per cent., Seligmann and Pinkus107 have also found positive reactions in 88 per cent, of prostitutes giving no history or symptoms of syphilis. In conclusion it would seem that there has been some very substantial progress during the past year in the serum diagnosis of syphilis. The continued investiga- tions on the Wassermann test have not only added much that is new to our knowledge, but have tended to con- firm the view that the reaction is one of very great practical value. The results obtained in a number of other diagnostic tests for syphilis must at least be con- sidered as encouraging. SUMMARY 1. The various precipitation tests for the diagnosis of syphilis are too unreliable to be of much practical value. 2. The Schiirmann color reaction has been extens- ively tried and found to be worthless. 3. The favorable results that have been claimed for the intradermic reaction are at least encouraging, as the performance of the test seems to be simple. 4. Excellent results have been claimed by Richard Weil for his cobra venom test. They are, however, somewhat lessened in value by the fact that very consid- erable experience is required to perform the reaction. 5. Further investigations are required to show whether the leuko-diagnosis, the antitryptic index or the meio- stagmin reaction can be used as diagnostic aids in syphi- lis. The results obtained with the Much-Holzmann re- action appear to be of no value. 6. The artificial antigens of Sachs and Rondoni, and of Schiirmann for the Wassermann reaction have not succeeded in replacing the use of organ extracts. 7. The use of barium sulphate suggested by Wech- selmann to remove the disturbing complementoids from the patient’s serum has apparently given a greater pro- portion of positive reactions than those obtained by the original Wassermann method. 8. The use of urine in place of serum for the Was- sermann reaction is not to be recommended. 107. Seligmann. E., and Pinkus. F.: Beitrage zur Theorle und Praxis dcr Wassermnnnschen Uenktlon. Ztschr. f. Imuninitiitsforseh, 1910, v. 377.