TETANUS. 283 



until there is sufficient toxemia to produce spasms, and 

 that therefore it is impossible to attack the disease in its 

 inception ; we are obliged to meet it upon the same 

 grounds as diphtheria in the later days of the disease 

 a time when it is well known that the chances of im- 

 provement are greatly lessened. 



Of course, as there is no other remedy that combats 

 the disease at all, the antitoxin is one which, when ob- 

 tainable, should always be employed. 



An interesting observation has been recently made by 

 Wasserman, 1 who, assuming that the destruction of 

 nerve-cells in the cerebrum and cord during tetanus tox- 

 emia might have something to do with immunity, be- 

 lieved it possible to obtain from these cells an immuniz- 

 ing substance. Investigating the subject, he found that 

 when fresh brain or spinal cord was rubbed up in a mor- 

 tar with physiological salt solution, and injected into ani- 

 mals, the mixture had the power not only to confer upon 

 them an immunity lasting for twenty-four hours, but also 

 was potent enough to neutralize the effects of an injec- 

 tion of tetanus toxin ten times as large as that necessary 

 to kill the animal in doses of i c.cm. 



These observations may offer a possible solution of the 

 difficult problem laid before us by Montesano and Mon- 

 tesson, 2 who unexpectedly found the tetanus bacillus in 

 pure culture in the cerebro-spinal fluid of a case of para- 

 lytic dementia that died without a tetanic symptom. 



1 Berlin, klin. Wochenschrift, 1898, No. I. 



2 Centralbl.f. Bakt,, u. Parasitenk., Bd. xxii., Nos. 22, 23, p. 663. Dec., 1897. 



