Studies of Scarlet Fever

[摘要] Numerous reliably observed discrepancies to the single-toxin hypothesis of the mechanism of scarlet fever are readily explained by merely assuming that multiple antigenic toxins exist. This report demonstrates the existence of two such toxins, A and B , whose qualitative distinctiveness is evidenced both by immunologic and chemical criteria. These include specific antigenicity, neutralizability, and erythrogenic activity, the effects of dialysis, adsorbents, precipitants, and enzymic digestion. Other erythrogenic streptococcal toxins undoubtedly exist. A single toxigenic strain may produce A or B or both or neither.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）