BACTERIOLOGIC PEPTONE IN RELATION TO THE 



PRODUCTION OF DIPHTHERIA TOXIN 



AND ANTITOXIN 



LEWIS DAVIS 

 From the Research Laboratory, Parke, Davis and Company, Detroit, Michigan 



Received for publication April 5, 1920 

 I, INTRODUCTION 



The necessity of using peptone media in the production of 

 potent diphtheria toxin was recognized by the pioneer investi- 

 gators in this field of serum therapy. Park and Williams (1896) 

 appear to have been the first to lay any special emphasis on this 

 constituent of the culture medium. After experimenting with 

 varying concentrations of peptone in diphtheria toxin broth, 

 they conclude that the strength of toxin averages greater with 

 higher percentages of peptone (2 and 4 per cent) than with lower 

 percentages (1 per cent). This is corroborated by Theobald 

 Smith (1899), in his publication on the relation of glucose to the 

 production of toxin in bouillon cultures of the diphtheria bacil- 

 lus. He also proposed the use of a peptone bouillon in which the 

 beef infusion, after preliminary reduction in acidity, was sub- 

 mitted to a fermentation with Bad. coll, in order to remove muscle 

 sugar. Previous investigations by Spronck and von Fourenhout 

 '(1895) had indicated an inhibitory action of this carbohydrate 

 upon the elaboration of toxin in peptone bouillon cultures of 

 Corynebact. diphtheriae. 



Martin (1898) attributed unsatisfactory results in toxin pro- 

 duction to variations in composition of the peptone then avail- 

 able which appears to have been the Witte product. To over- 

 come this, he proposed what he terms " liquid peptone" obtained 

 from auto-digested swine stomachs which he mixed with an equal 

 volume of veal bouillon. As would be expected, from its com- 



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