82 MODERN BIOLOGIC THERAPEUSIS 



and the time that has elapsed since the onset 

 of the infection. No one can estimate abso- 

 lutely the amount of toxins that have been and 

 are being absorbed. Hence, there is no posi- 

 tive indication to show the exact dose necessary 

 in any case. The principal thing to do, there- 

 fore, is to be sure to give enough antitoxin. 

 The physician can be guided to some extent by 

 the amount of membrane present, its location, 

 the duration of the disease prior to diagnosis, 

 and the general constitutional symptoms, in- 

 cluding prostration, condition of the heart, 

 pulse-rate and mental apathy. It is, however, 

 possible to formulate certain rules for deter- 

 mining the dosage. 



Dosage The experience of clinicians all 

 over the world, involving many thousands of 

 cases, reveal the fact that the doses of Diph- 

 theria Antitoxin which were first administered 

 when the product was introduced and which 

 are too often used at the present time are quite 

 inadequate to produce the desired effects. It 

 is becoming more and more evident that the 

 initial dose should never be less than 10,000 

 units, even when the patient is seen in the early 

 stage of the disease. If a case is seen within 



