DIPHTHERIA TOXINE. 93 



outside it is very scanty. The antitoxine is retained by a 

 gelatine filter (BRODIE l ). 



The antitoxine is rapidly destroyed when heated to the boiling 

 point. Even a temperature of 60 to 70 C. is injurious (VAN 

 DE YELDE 2 ). The dry antitoxine, however, can resist a tempera- 

 ture of 110 C. for half an hour, and of 140 C. for fifteen 

 minutes (CAMUS 3 ). It can resist lower temperatures to some 

 extent. SPRONCK* has heated it to 59 C. for sterilisation 

 without materially weakening its antitoxine power. Temper- 

 atures up to 36 C. have no influence upon it (PALMIRSKI 

 and ORLOWSKi 5 ), although, according to MULLER, G they are 

 very injurious when continued for longer periods (two 

 months). 



It appears to be unaffected by very low temperatures 

 (BuJWiD 7 ). Direct sunlight and plentiful introduction of air 

 (long continued shaking) are injurious (PALMIRSKI and OR- 

 LOWSKI, loc. cit.). MULLER (loc. cit.) found that yellow and red 

 light were harmless, even after being allowed to act for months, 

 but that blue and green light were very injurious, as was also 

 daylight after long continued action, whilst MARENGHI 8 found it 

 had no effect if the exposure were short. According to MULLER 

 all gases have a very injurious action, and hence he recommends 

 that the tubes should be filled as full as possible so as to exclude 

 any considerable amount of gas. It is thus best to keep them in 

 the dark, upon ice, and closed in such a way as to exclude air 

 and to protect them from contamination. Solid preparations of 

 antitoxine should also be protected from moisture by means of 

 phosphoric anhydride in vacua, as recommended by EHRLICH ; 

 under such conditions they remain unaltered for years. 



1 Brodie, /. ofPathoL, 1897, 460, quoted by Martin and Cherry, "The 

 Antagonism between Toxines and Antitoxines," Proc. Roy. Soc., Ixiii,, 

 420, 1898. 



2 Van de Velde, "Beitr. z. Kenntnis der antitox. Kraft d. antidiphth. 

 Serums," CentralU. f. Bakt., xxii., 527. 



3 Camus, "Resistance aux temp, e'leve'es des vaccins desse'che'es," Soc. 

 Biol, 1., 235, 1898. 



4 Spronck, "Chauffage du serum antidiphth6rique," Ann. Past., xii., 

 695, 1898. 



5 Palmirski and Orlowski, Medycyna, xxiii.; Abst. in Gentralbl. f. Bakt., 

 xix., 916. 



6 Miiller, "Ueber d. Resistenz d. Diphtherieheilserums gegeniiber 

 verschiedenen Einfliissen," CentralU. f. Bakt., xxiv., 251, 1898. 



7 Bujwid, " Ueb. e. Methode d. Concentrat. d. diphth. Heils. mittelst 

 Ausfrieren," CentralU. f. Bakt., xxii., 287, 1897. 



8 Marenghi, "Ueb. die gegenseitige Wirkung des antidiphth. Serums 

 imd des Diphth. -Toxins," CentralU. f. Bakt., xxii., 520, 1897. 



