SERUM THERAPY 89 



to be administered at one dose and as soon as 

 possible after the diagnosis has been made. Any 

 failure of Diphtheria Antitoxin to effect a cure 

 can usually be attributed to delay in its use or 

 to insufficient dosage. 



EARLY ADMINISTRATION 



Many physicians are reluctant to use the large 

 doses because of the expense entailed. The ear- 

 lier in the disease that the antitoxin is adminis- 

 tered, the smaller the quantity of antitoxin that 

 will be required to effect a cure. Therefore, if 

 the practitioner will give one large dose as 

 early as possible in the disease, the necessity for 

 giving several small subsequent doses will be 

 obviated and the actual expense of the treatment 

 will be lessened. 



METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION 



For the treatment of diphtheria, in contrast 

 to prophylaxis, it is essential that the antitoxin 

 be administered by a route which will insure its 

 rapid absorption so that the antibodies will ex- 

 ert their effect as soon as possible. For this 

 purpose it is urgently recommended in severe 

 cases that antitoxin be administered intraven- 



