THE PROVOCATION OF THE LUETIN TEST IN NONSYPHILITIC PATIENTS

An exact cutaneous test for syphilis is greatly desired by syphilologists. From a practical diagnostic standpoint, an easy, exact and cheap cutaneous test for syphilis is a thing much to be hoped for.As early as 1909, Charlet, Gautier, Favre and Nicholas had experimented with congenital syphilitic liver extract, which they termed "syphilin," and like experiments had been tried in Neisser's and Jadassohn's clinics and in several others. Fischer and Klausner, with the same idea, had also worked with "pallidin," a suspension made from pneumonia alba (the lungs of congenital syphilitics rich in Spirochaeta pallida).Noguchi's report on his luetin reaction was received, therefore, with satisfaction, and the test is used quite extensively in this country and more or less abroad.In attempting to explain its mechanism, Neisser noted that the skin of patients with late syphilis reacted not only to the luetin test but also with many other foreign