JOMAL OF AGRICDLTIIAL RESEARCH 



Voi,. XIII Washington, D. C, June 3, 191 8 No. 10 



DESTRUCTION OF TETANUS ANTITOXIN BY CHEMICAL 



AGENTS 



By W. N. Berg, Biochemist, and R. A. Kelser, Veterinary Inspector, Pathological 

 Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture 



OBJECT AND PLAN OF WORK 



The ultimate object of the work herein described is a solution of the 

 problem of the chemical nature of antitoxins and their preparation in the 

 pure state. That this would be attained was not expected, in view of 

 the numerous previous investigations which left these problems unsolved. 

 But it seemed highly probable that data would be obtained which would 

 throw some light on the subject and serve as guides for other investi- 

 gations. 



Up to the present time numerous investigators have attempted to 

 separate antitoxins from their associated proteins, but without complete 

 success. The well-known tetanus and diphtheria antitoxins are examples 

 of preparations containing all or nearly all of the immunity units present 

 in the original serums, but only a part of the proteins. Thus, Homer (8)^ 

 concentrated a tetanus serum containing 100 units per cubic centimeter 

 and 6 per cent of protein, obtaining a product that contained 900 units 

 per cubic centimeter and 19 per cent of protein. In this process 10 per 

 cent of the antitoxic units were lost, the final product was 9 times as 

 potent as the original serum and contained but 3 times as much protein. 

 The failure of all attempts to obtain a protein-free antitoxin preparation 

 has led some investigators to the conclusion that the antibody (or group 

 of antibodies) which constitutes the antitoxin is one of the serum proteins, 

 and hence can not be completely separated from protein. The concen- 

 tration of antitoxin without a similar concentration of protein is regarded 

 by others as an indication that the antitoxin may be a body of non- 

 protein nature. 



Under these conditions any test which would conclusively decide 

 whether an antitoxin is or is not identical with a serum protein would 

 have both a practical and a theoretical interest. Accordingly, the fol- 



• Reference is made by number (italic) to "Literature cited," pp. 494-495. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. Xlll, No. 10 



Washington, D. C. June 3, 1918 



nr Key No. A-39 



(471) 



