456 DIPHTHERIA, SCARLET FEVER, AND TETANUS 



should be the only persons in contact with the patient. After 

 handling the patient, which should be done as infrequently as 



possible, the hands 

 of the attendants 

 should be immedi- 

 ately cleansed in a 

 germicidal solution 

 and then washed with 

 soap and water. 



Diphtheria anti- 

 toxin is usually ad- 

 ministered early to 

 help the patient get 

 control of the disease. 

 This antitoxin pro- 

 duces immunity with 

 little or no work on 

 the part of the cells 



The strength of the toxin is tested by injecting a very small p .-i , • +' U J 



volume into a 250-gm. guinea pig. If the pig dies within four OI tlie patlCUt S DOCly. 



days, it is toxic enough to inject into a horse to produce C U * *+ * 



antitoxin. After a given time, blood is drawn from the horse, oUCn immunity IS 



the serum with its antitoxin is separated from the blood and U-n^-rTrr-r, qc r^Qaci-vrp 



again tested. This time, a little serum is mixed with some ^UOWU db pdbtsive 



toxin and the mixture injected into a guinea pig. If the pig irnmiinitv When 



lives, the serum is shown to contain antitoxin and will be eflfec- ^ * 



tive. Look up the exact amounts of material and time in- "^Jig autitoxin nCU- 

 volved in this standardization process. 



tralizes the toxins of 

 the invading germs, the patient's body develops its own anti- 

 toxins. This results in an active, permanent immunity. The 

 administering of a sufficient quantity of antitoxin is the primary 

 remedy for the cure of diphtheria. When a physician is not 

 called early enough, the case may advance so far that the ad- 

 ministration of antitoxin is valueless. Too much toxin has then 

 been produced by the invading germs for the antitoxin to neu- 

 tralize. If other members of the family are in contact with the 

 patient and have not been immunized by the toxin-antitoxin 



