VI 



ANTITOXIC SERA 



Antitoxic sera are of recognized value particu- 

 larly in diphtheria and tetanus, and are employed as 

 routine therapeutic agents in these diseases. 



Antitoxic sera have also been prepared and used 

 from time to time in other infections with varying 

 success. Examples of these are antigonococcic serum, 

 antityphoid serum, antituberculosis serum, antidysen- 

 teric serum, anticholera serum, antibotulism serum. 

 In addition, antitoxic sera have been employed in hay 

 fever ( antiphy totoxic sera), and against snake ven- 

 oms (antizootoxic sera). 



Antidiphtheeitic Serum (Diphtheria Antitoxin) 



With antidiphtheritic serum are obtained the most 

 brilliant results in the domain of serum therapy. Sta- 

 tistics from all sources attest its value. The serum is 

 employed both for protective and curative pm'poses. 

 The method of preparation of antidiphtheritic serum 

 has already been given in Chapter V. 



Protective Use of Diphtheria Antitoxin, — The 

 average duration of immunity conferred by a protec- 

 tive dose of diphtheria antitoxin is three weeks. This 

 varies with the severity of the epidemic present. In 



42 



