1 88 BACTERIA IN DAILY LIFE 



not less remarkable, for it is possible to inject 

 venom sufficient to kill an animal in two hours, 

 and to let one hour and three-quarters elapse 

 before administering the antidote, and yet at this 

 late stage to save the victim's life, although it is 

 necessary where such a long interval has occurred 

 between the respective venom and serum injections 

 to employ the latter in larger quantities than is 

 usually required. Dr. Calmette believes that the 

 anti-toxin may be applied at an even more ad- 

 vanced stage of the disease if it is employed in 

 yet larger doses. Another novel and important 

 feature about this anti-venomous serum is the fact 

 that it not only protects animals from one species 

 of very active venom, such as that of the cobra 

 and other poisonous snakes, but it also affords 

 protection from the dreaded venom of scorpions. 

 This is a very remarkable and significant dis- 

 covery, for hitherto the opinion has been stub- 

 bornly held that each toxin requires its specific 

 anti-toxin for its correction. Dr. Calmette has, 

 however, frequently indicated by his researches 

 that this view cannot be considered so completely 

 proven as is claimed by its supporters, and his 

 latest investigations support the theory that par- 

 ticular toxins may be counteracted by several 

 anti-toxins of different origin. Thus it has been 

 shown by Calmette and Roux that rabbits hyper- 



