266 



PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



2. Concentrated Diphtheric Antitoxin 



While the chemical nature of antitoxin is not known, it has been deter- 

 mined that it is united, in some way, with the globulins of the blood. The 

 attempts to isolate antitoxin have resulted in the manufacture of a refined 

 or concentrated antidiphtheric serum which is used quite extensively 



FIG. 66. Container with diphtheria antitoxin, supplied with hypodermic needle, 

 piston, all ready for immediate use by the physician. The plunger is simply a homeo- 

 pathic vial with rubber stopper. (Cutler Laboratory.') 



though it does not meet with the unqualified favor accorded the antidiph- 

 theric serum. The process of manufacture is as follows: 



a. The antidiphtheric serum is saturated with ammonium sulphate 

 which precipitates the globulins (containing the antitoxin) in the form of a 

 white mass. It is then filtered and the filtrate rejected. 



b. The precipitate left on the filter is redissolved in water and this solu- 

 tion is again treated with ammonium sulphate as in (a). The object in 

 redissolving in water is to wash the globulins. 



