1897] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 61 



HOW ANTITOXIN ACTS. 



We do not know what action takes place in the serum 

 of the horse producing the antitoxin, nor do we know 

 positively its action upon the organism of the control 

 animal or the patient treated for diphtheria. The fact 

 that the control animals always recover under the in- 

 fluence of antitoxin, while they always die with but one 

 tenth the amount of toxin, and the reduction in mortal- 

 ity of patients ill with dij)htheria under the influence of 

 antitoxin, are, however, self-convincing. No reason can 

 iexist for its non-employment on this ground, since we do 

 not know the nature of the changes from pepsin to pep- 

 tones, albumen to albuminoids; the action of arsenic in 

 anaemia, mercury in syphilis, and many of our therapeu- 

 tic agents. They are used empirically because favorable 

 results are secured. 



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 chemical action on the toxin 

 can be proved by mixing toxins and antitoxins, and main- 

 taining the mixture at a temperature of 70 degrees C. 

 for some time. At this temperature the antitoxin is de- 

 stroyed, while the toxin remains but slightly disturbed 

 in virulence. 



Ewing and Billings have made numerous experiments 

 as to the action of antitoxic serum upon the blood, and 

 agree that: "In cases of diphtheria treated with antitoxin 

 the diminution in the number of the red corpuscles it 

 much less marked than in those cases treated without it. 

 The leucocytes are a[)parently unaffected in number by 

 the antitoxin, the hemoglobin is also much less affected 

 in the cases treated with antitoxin, thus contiiniing the 

 statement as to the red corpuscles, while the leucocytes 

 are stimulated in action, as evinced by taking more vivid 

 color when stained with indigo solution." — Am. Druggist. 



