1896 THE MICROSCOPE. 187 



sired that 600 units are to be administered. 5 cc. will be 

 understood as the amount to be injected, etc. 



It is a matter of gratifying interest to Americans, that 

 serums of the highest antitoxic values have been pre- 

 pared in our own country. Serums are now produced in 

 which each cc. contains as much as 800 units, and we con- 

 fidently believe as great an amount of antitoxic units as 

 1000 to tlie cc. will be produced in the near future. This 

 overcomes the chief objection that has been urged 

 against the serum, even by its warmest advocates — more 

 prompt absorption will take place, ensuring quicker re- 

 sults, besides the attendant dread caused by the large in- 

 struments necessary for the introduction of large amounts 

 of weaker serums will be avoided : 2000 units may thus 

 be administered in an ordinary hypodermatic syringe. 



Dried serums are much less active than fluid or fresh 

 ones. They are prepared by the addition of aluminium 

 or ammonium sulphate, with subsequent precipitations 

 of the antitoxin by a one per cent soda solution, or by 

 inspissation. Thry have given fairly good results, but 

 cause greater irritation than do fluid serums, and not b'i- 

 ing freely soluble cause anoyance in administration, and 

 give greater opportunities for contamination in their pre- 

 paration and in the dilution for administration. 



The accepted theory of the action of antitoxin, is that it 

 renders the living cells of the organism tolerant to the 

 toxin liberated by the diphtheria bacilli, and by increas- 

 ing this tolerance they are able to overcome these toxins. 



That antitoxin exerts no chemic action on the toxin can 

 be proved by mixing toxics and antitoxins maintaining 

 the mixture at a temperature of 70 C. At this tem[)era- 

 ture the antitoxin is destroyed, while the toxin remains 

 but slightly disturbed in virulence. — Registered Phar- 

 macist. 



The Academy of Medicine, Paris, France, offers a prize 

 of $160,000 to him who will discover a specific for phtisis. 



