On the Serology of the Pneumococcus-Group

Abstract

Summary In the course of the last two or three years we have at the Danish State Serum Institute determined serologically twenty new types of pneumococcus, so that today we know of a total of fifty different serological types. The principal mutual capsular-antigenic relations are shown in formulae in a table, and the sera necessary for type-diagnosis are described. The importance of these discoveries to diagnosis, serumtherapy and epidemiology is pointed out. Attention is called to the urgent necessity of establishing an international pneumococcus center for the making of comparative international investigations and distributing the necessary cultures and sera to all institutes concerned.