Artificial immunity against toxins 365 



than the true antitoxins. Cases are by no means rare in which nor- 

 mal serums exert a certain influence on toxins. Thus, Pfeiffer 1 noted 

 that the normal blood serum of the goat has the power to prevent 

 fatal poisoning by the cholera toxin. Freund, Grosz and Jelinek 2 

 observed an analogous action of solutions of nucleohiston on diph- 

 theria intoxication and Kondratieff 3 demonstrated the same action of 

 an extract of the spleen on the tetanus poison. Calmette 4 , in 

 collaboration with Delearde, studied the influence of a whole series 

 of fluids on abrin intoxication. Whilst physiological saline solution 

 was absolutely incapable of preventing the death of animals, fresh 

 broth exerted an undoubted antitoxic power. Amongst normal 

 serums, ox serum exhibited a certain antirabic property. More, 

 however, than the serums of normal animals, have those of animals 

 immunised against various toxins other than abrin (antitetanus, anti- 

 diphtheria, anti venomous serums, &c.) been found to possess the 

 power of preventing intoxication by abrin. These facts are connected 

 with others of analogous nature, previously demonstrated by Calmette 5 , 

 of which I may cite the following : the serum of animals vaccinated 

 against tetanus toxin is active, though to a less degree, against snake 

 venom ; the serum of rabbits vaccinated against rabies, a serum 

 powerless to protect against this disease, is, however, very markedly 

 effective against the same venom ; the serum of animals immunised 

 against snake venom is also antitoxic against scorpion venom (I have [334] 

 myself had the opportunity of confirming this fact on several 

 occasions). In all these examples, the serums have proved to be less 

 efficacious against poisons other than the toxin with which the 

 animals that furnished the blood had been treated. Ehrlich 6 , too, 

 has demonstrated that animals vaccinated against robin (toxalbumin 

 of Robinia pseudacacia) produce a serum, antitoxic not only against 

 this poison but also against ricin. It need scarcely be added that in 

 all these cases of non-specific action of serums derived from vaccin- 

 ated animals, no question of any antitoxic effect of normal serums 

 can enter. In all the experiments just summarised, the serums of 

 normal animals, used as controls, were found to be inefficacious. 



1 Ztschr.f. Hyg., Leipzig, 1895, Bd. xx, S. 210. 



2 Centralblf. inn. Med., Leipzig, 1895, Jahrg. xvi, SS. 913, 937. 



3 Arch.f. exper. Path. u. Pharmakol, Leipzig, 1896, Bd. xxxvii, S. 191. 



4 Ann. de VInst. Pasteur, Paris, 1896, t. x, p. 703. 



5 Ann. de VInst. Pasteur, Paris, 1895, t. ix, p. 225. 



6 "Die Werthbemessung d. Diphtherieheilserums " (Klin. Jahrb., Berlin, 1897, 

 p. 20 of reprint). 



