236 ANTITOXINS 



BOTULINUS ANTITOXIN 



The nature of the botulinus poison has previously been described. 

 Wassermann has recently immunized horses against this toxin, and the 

 antitoxin shows unmistakable value in animal experiments, although 

 it has not been employed frequently enough in this form of poisoning 

 in human beings to prove its value. 



ANTIDYSENTERIC SERUM 



The Kruse-Shiga type of dysentery bacillus has been shown to pro- 

 duce varying amounts of a soluble toxin; and antiserums, which are 

 partly antitoxic and partly bactericidal in nature, have been prepared, 

 and have apparently yielded good therapeutic results in the hands of 

 several observers. Potent antiserums for the Flexner type of bacillus 

 and for various strains isolated from the feces of cases of infantile ileo- 

 colitis have not been produced. Even a virulent strain of the dysentery- 

 bacillus does not produce true soluble toxins in a manner comparable 

 to those produced by tetanus and diphtheria. Potent toxins are sel- 

 dom secured with less than two to three weeks' incubation, and fresh 

 cultures of whole or autolyzed bacilli are likewise quite too toxic, in- 

 dicating that although a soluble toxin may be produced, considerable 

 endotoxin is also present in the bacilli. 



Antidysenteric serum has very little prophylactic value, but in in- 

 dividual cases it frequently exerts a curative action, and should be 

 available for use in institutions and armies when dysenteric infection 

 is prevalent. 



The older investigators, such as Kruse and Shiga, produced anti- 

 serums by immunization with whole bacilli. Later Kraus and Doerr 

 prepared antitoxic serums with the toxin alone. At the present time 

 the evidence would seem to indicate that the best serums are prepared 

 by injecting both toxins and bacilli, producing a serum that is essen- 

 tially antitoxic and bactericidal in action. 



Culture. Young and healthy horses are best adapted for immuniza- 

 tion. Two methods may be followed: (1) Immunization with toxin 

 or (2) with young cultures of whole bacilli. As previously mentioned, 

 investigations have tended to show that the most potent serums are 

 secured by using mixtures of both toxin and microorganisms. 



Several strains of dysentery bacilli should be used, in order that a 

 polyvalent serum may be prepared. Cultures should be grown for two 



