166 TETANUS, MALIGNANT (EDEMA, ETC. 



Anaphylaxis. 



Anaphylaxis (dud, against ; <pi>Aazt7, protection) is a term 

 which embraces a certain series of untoward phenomena ob- 

 served when an otherwise benign proteid material has been 

 absorbed by an animal previously rendered hypersusceptible 

 to that proteid. In the earlier experiments with antitoxin for 

 diphtheria and tetanus, such untoward accidents were some- 

 times noted and their occurrence laid at the door of hyper- 

 susceptibility to the toxines. It is now known that they* were 

 due to the proteid contained in the horse-serum. A great 

 deal of work has been done in an endeavor to ferret out the 

 causes of and laws governing anaphylaxis. So far the results 

 have been contradictory, and no reliable information for prac- 

 tical guidance has been furnished. 



The subject of anaphylaxis is mentioned here on account 

 of the prejudice that has arisen in certain quarters against 

 antitoxin administration through fear of anaphy lactic results, 

 when it is known that a previous dose of antitoxic serum has 

 been given. 



In the light of our present knowledge of the efficacy of 

 antitoxins against diphtheria and tetanus, the latter in a pro- 

 phylactic way especially, we do not believe it is justifiable in 

 refraining from their free use on the grounds of "anaphylaxi- 

 phobia." 



MALIGNANT (EDEMA. 

 The Bacillus of Malignant (Edema. 



History. Malignant O3dema is caused by a very malignant 

 bacillus, discovered by Pasteur, studied by Koch and Kitt, and 

 found in the soil of gardens and in the dust of streets, which, 

 when inoculated into animals, rapidly produces the disease. 



Morphology. Rods from 3 to 8 mikrons in length and 1.10 

 mikron in thickness. They occur singly or in pairs in cult- 

 ures, rarely forming threads. The ends are square in appo- 

 sition when two bacilli come together, but rounded when the 

 bacilli are single or at the free ends of united bacilli. 



