GERMS. 79 



Does this third answer prove anything favorable for 

 antitoxin ? 



No. 



What does it prove? 



Nothing. It is only a statement from those who 

 have faith in the remedy. They do not say that dis- 

 ease was ever cured or even influenced by antitoxin, 

 and state that the first experiments only "indicated" 

 so-and-so. 



Who were the experimenters ? 



Germ theorists, of course, the same men who ex- 

 plained (?) immunity on page 31. 



The fourth answer was by a personal letter, as fol- 

 lows: "We are pretty familiar with antitoxin litera- 

 ture, pro and con, and we do not believe antitoxin 

 serum alone has ever been used. In fact, it would be 

 dangerous to do so, for it begins to undergo changes 

 immediately, the carbolic acid or other antiseptic is 

 incorporated during the process of manufacture. 

 Nothing has ever been found in the antitoxin except 

 the antiseptics. Antitoxin is simply a combination of 

 horse-serum, carbolic acid and faith. Carbolic acid has 

 an old and flattering history in the successful treat- 

 ment of diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid fever and 

 other infectious diseases. Especially is it useful in 

 the small doses as employed in antitoxin. The evi- 

 dence which antitoxin has accumulated for itself has 

 been manufactured by carbolic acid. The serum alone 

 has nothing back of it except theory, assertion and 

 credulity." 



The center from which this authority emanates is 



