Now that time has allowed the smoke of enthusiasm to clear away, we should be able to take an accurate reckoning of the value of artificial immunization of patients with staphylococcic infections of the skin.
Two years ago, before this Section, I reported a series of staphylococcic infections of the skin treated by bacterial inoculations. The conclusions at that time were not unlike those of other investigators along this line of treatment. Autogenous suspensions were found more efficient than monovalent stock suspensions, and inoculations guided by opsonic estimations were found more effectual than those that were not so guided.
Owing to the time consumed in isolating the invading organism and standardizing the suspensions, and the difficulties in making opsonic estimations, opsonic therapy has evoked criticism. The purport of this paper, then, is to discuss the simplifications which assist in placing opsonic therapy on a practical