Medicine: Rheumatism Serum

Modestly, Bacteriologist James C. Small of the Philadelphia General Hospital told Director Wilmer Krusen of the Philadelphia Public Health Department that he had isolated a new, minute organism (Streptococcus cardioarthritidis) from the blood of rheumatic patients and had been able to build a serum that cured a few cases of rheumatism. Director Krusen was delighted, for the cause of rheumatism (rheumatic fever) is obscure. Doctors know as little about it as they do about cancer. Rheumatism does not kill so many people as does cancer. Yet it is responsible for one-fourth of...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!