I 94 TETANUS 



this method of treatment is based upon the hypothesis, set up 

 by Goldscheider and Flatau, who, as a result of their research 

 came to the conclusion that "The morphological changes in 

 the nerve cells are the expression of a chemical process, i. e., 

 of the chemical combination of the toxins with the nerve 

 cells. Every nerve cell possesses atom groups which have a 

 certain affinity for the atom groups of the tetanus toxin and 

 are able to combine with them." Wassermann and Takaki 

 substantiated this hypothesis experimentally ; these observers 

 injected into experimentally tetanized animals an emulsion of 

 spinal cord, obtained from a freshly killed animal, to test, if 

 possible, whether the nerve cells of the dead animal also have 

 this affinity for the tetanus toxin, like the nerve cells of the 

 living animal. By this experiment, they have come to the 

 conclusion that every part of the nervous system, particularly 

 the brain of the examined animals including man, has a 

 definite and positive tetanus antitoxic power ; and that the 

 injection of normal brain substance into experimentally 

 tetanized animals has the power to save life. Further work in 

 this direction is necessary to fully demonstrate the efficiency 

 of this procedure. 



REFERENCES. 



. I. Behring and KiTASATo. Ueber das Zustandekoninien der 

 Diphtheric — Immunitat und der Tetanus — Immunilat bei Thieren. 

 Deutsche Med. Wochenschrift. Bd. XVI. (1890) S. 113. 



2. KiTASATo. Ueber den Tetanusbacillus. Zeit.f. Hygiene. Bd. 

 VII. (1889) S. 225. 



3. KiTASATO. Experimentelle Untersuchungen iiber das Tetanus- 

 gift. Zeit.f. Hygiene. Bd. X. (1891 ) S. 267. 



4. MosCHCOWiTZ. Tetanus, a study of the nature, excitant, lesions, 

 symptomatology, and treatment of the disease, with a critical summary 

 of the results of serum therapy. Studies from the Department of Path- 

 ology of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. 

 Vol. VII. (1899-1900). (M. gives pathology and antitoxin treatment, 

 summary of cases and full bibliography. ) 



5. iviCFARLAND. Tetanus and vaccination. The Journal of Medi- 

 cal Research. Vol. VII. (1902) p. 474. 



