June 3, 1918 



Destruction of Tetanus Antitoxin 



475 



3 days before they were used for experimental purposes. Out of these 

 440, 250 died during the various observation periods. It is believed that 

 ^vithout exception the deaths were all due to tetanus. No post-mortem 

 examinations were made, it being e\adent that the deaths were due to 

 tetanus either from the symptoms or from the time and number of 

 deaths. In all cases the symptoms of tetanus were observed when 

 recording the death as due to tetanus, except in experiment 21, in which 

 36 guinea pigs were inoculated between 3 and 4 p. m. None were " down " 

 the next morning, but when next observed, at 9 p. m., 30 hours after 

 inoculation, 23 were found dead without anyone's having observed any 

 symptoms, while 12 controls were alive. Deaths were recorded as 

 tetanus, as the time, grouping, etc., practically precluded other possi- 

 bilities. 



Table II. — Preparations used in experiments 



Designation of preparation. 



TiTiere obtained. 



Maker's statement of 

 number of antitoxic 

 units in i c. c. of the 

 preparation. 



Tetanus antitoxin N0.420F 

 Tetanus serum No. 374. 

 Tetanus antitoxin X . . . . 



Tetanus serum No. 268. 

 Pepsin I 



Pepsin 2 



Trypsin 3 . 

 Trypsin 4 . 



Tetanus toxin F4. 



Tetanus toxin Fi. 



Lederle antitoxin laboratories 



do 



A mixture, total volume 55 c. c. of 

 the following makes: Slee; Parke, 

 Davis & Co. ; and Mulford. 



I,€derle antitoxin laboratories 



A loo-gm. sample of Parke, Davis & 

 Co. 1:3000, purchased about May, 

 1912. 



A 200-gm. sample of pepsin puriss, 

 Gruebler, imported about March, 



1913- 

 A 50-gm. sample of " trypsin Merck^ ' ' 



purchased August, 1913. 

 A3o-gm. sample of "trypsin Merck," 



pvirchased November, 1916. 



Hygienic Laborator}', United States 

 Public-Health Service. 



....do 



300. 

 202. 

 Average 236. 



Standard toxin 

 test dose, 0.0007 

 gm. 

 Do. 



The death of a guinea pig within a few days after its receipt from the 

 Bureau Experiment Station is such a rarity that it may be disregarded. 

 But I occurred out of the 440 guinea pigs. By reason of the selection at 

 the station such deaths are more likely to be due to mechanical injury 

 than disease. The comments by Wahl {14, p. 22y) on the well-known 

 susceptibility of guinea pigs to intercurrent infections and sudden fatal 

 epidemics, pneumonia, pleurisy, ascites, etc., while true of ordinary 

 guinea pigs, certainly do not apply to the stock maintained by the 

 Bureau. 



