THERAPEUTIC IMMUNIZATION IN MAN 



453 



CHART II. The antitoxic power of human blood after an intravenous injection 

 of 10,000 antitoxic units. (From Park and Biggs, loc. cit.) 



utes, 100 after 40 minutes, and 150 units each after 60 and 80 min- 

 utes. This rabbit died. Another animal given the same dose of 

 toxin received 200 units of antitoxin twenty minutes later and lived. 

 The amount necessary to save life in rabbits receiving ten fatal doses 

 intravenously was as follows : 



Given after 10 minutes 5 units antitoxin 



Given after 20 minutes 200 units antitoxin 



Given after 30 minutes 2,000 units antitoxin 



Given after 45 minutes 4,000 units antitoxin 



Given after 60 minutes 5,000 units antitoxin 



Given after 90 minutes . . No amount 



These extremely important experiments of Park and Biggs bear 

 out the opinion of Schick and show beyond question that the proper 

 way to give antitoxin is to give a single adequate dose as early as 

 possible. They emphasize the fact that probably the most important 

 single point in the specific therapy of diphtheria is the speed with 

 which the diagnosis can be made and the antitoxin given. At the De- 

 partment of Health the dosage now employed, as given by Park and 

 Biggs, is the following : 



