Although mumps is one of the mildest of the contagious diseases and in children is associated with few complications, nevertheless it is decidedly worth while to abort an epidemic of this disease in an institution, for such epidemics drag along for many months, new cases developing at long intervals. Our main object in this therapeutic endeavor was to reduce the incidence of the disease, as well as to attenuate its virulence, if possible.
In 1915, in the course of an epidemic of mumps in the Home for Hebrew Infants, Hess used serum from convalescent patients in the prevention of the disease.1 To this end, 3 or 4 cc. of serum was injected, intramuscularly, into each of 20 susceptible children. The disease did not develop in any of them. This was the first recommendation of the use of convalescent serum for protection against mumps. At the same time it was