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1925
43
The Dick test for Scarlet fever is a more recent one. In
1923. Drs. G. F. and G. H. Dick, of Chicago, claimed to have discovered
the organism of Scarlet Fever, with which they had
produced Scarlet Fever in volunteers. From this organism, a
culture was made, and by the injection of this toxin into the skin,
the susceptibility of a person to Scarlet Fever was shown in a
similar way to that in which the Schick test does to diphtheria.
The reaction usually appears from 4 to 6 hours after injection
reaching its maximum size between eighteen and thirty-six hours
after the injection.
Attempts have been made to immunize patients in a similar
manner to the diphtheria immunization, and the serum has been
manufactured for the curative treatment of Scarlet. Fever, but
so far, the time has not been sufficient to produce results so complete
and definite as those which have been gained in Diphtheria.
Dr. Zingher points out that the susceptibility to Scarlet
Fever as to Diphtheria, is much higher in the well-to-do classes
than in the poor. Among 7,000 New York board school children
tested, only 8 per cent. gave a positive Dick reaction, whereas in
a private school 83 per cent. proved susceptible.
Both tests have been used extensively by local authorities
in this country and can be regarded as a reliable test of susceptibility
of the individual to the respective disease.
There is also adequate evidence that inoculation with the
toxin-anti-toxin produces immunity at any rate in the case of
diphtheria.
As a natural sequence one must face the further question
to what extent can the procedure be grafted on to our existing
public health system with a prospect of success.
The memorandum of the Ministry asks that this report should
state whether any use has been made of the tests known as the
Schick and Dick tests in diphtheria and scarlet fever respectively,
or of the recently developed artificial methods of immunization
against these diseases.