THE CONTROL OF SCARLET FEVER

Six years ago, we began the publication of a series of experiments which established a specific type of hemolytic streptococcus as the cause of scarlet fever. In these experiments, it was shown that the scarlet fever streptococcus produces a potent soluble toxin which is responsible for the toxemia, nausea and rash, and that recovery from the disease with subsequent immunity depends on the production of an antitoxin. This antitoxin is capable of neutralizing the scarlet fever toxin in vitro. The conclusions as to the etiology, specific toxin and antitoxin of scarlet fever have been verified by reports too numerous to detail here, published in this and other countries. They include the work done by Nicolle in the Pasteur Institute at Tunis, where all the crucial experiments were repeated, including even the production of experimental scarlet fever in human beings. STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL OF SCARLET FEVER The production of