HISTAMINASE IN THE TREATMENT OF SERUM SICKNESS

The recent studies of Roth and Horton¹ demonstrated that the oral administration of the enzyme histaminase would prevent the occurrence of local inflammation and edema in patients susceptible to cold allergy after their hands and forearms were plunged into cold water. After discussing their cases with Dr. Roth we decided to test the effect of the enzyme in controlling or preventing the local and general symptoms of serum sickness. For several years one of us (L. F.) has entertained the hypothesis that the major phenomena of serum sickness are due to a release of histamine, or a histamine-like substance, in the tissues and into the circulation consequent on the union of serum protein antigens and antibodies. The irregularity of appearance of the disturbance and the great variability of its clinical aspects in different persons might depend on different rates of production of antibodies to the separate fractional antigenic components