cerebrospinal meningitis

Sometimes, however, there are epidemics of cerebrospinal meningitis—spotted fever, as it used to be called.

In earlier times it was evidently confounded with gloss anthrax, and even now it is probably mistaken in a great many instances for anthrax, blackleg, cornstalk disease, and cerebrospinal meningitis.

At present, rabies, tetanus, diphtheria, and cerebrospinal meningitis are the four diseases for which antitoxin is made commercially and generally used.

These germs get within the skull and spinal canal, and produce violent inflammation of the coverings of the brain and cord; these membranes are called “meninges,” hence the name “cerebrospinal meningitis.”

Inasmuch as a natural immunity does not appear after an attack of cerebrospinal meningitis, it might be anticipated that serum of recovered cases would possess neither curative nor prophylactic qualities.