CHAPTER XI* 



THE MANUFACTURE OF ANTISERUMS AND OTHER BI- 

 OLOGICAL PRODUCTS RELATED TO SPECIFIC 

 INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



The principles involved in serum therapy are those of passive 

 immunization. Therefore, the employment of an antiserum as a pre- 

 ventive or curative measure is an attempt to supply the patient with 

 certain specific substances which are capable of neutralizing and de- 

 stroying the specific toxic materials and pathogenic microorganisms. 

 Presumably, the patient receives nothing in antiserums which 

 stimulate the development of protective bodies. Active immunity 

 does not follow as in the case of vaccine treatment. As the result 

 of serum treatment, the patient enjoys relatively temporary pro- 

 tection (preventive treatment), or cessation of pathologic processes 

 (curative treatment), because of the application of specific antisub- 

 stances. Thp substances contained in the serum are developed 

 in the blood of some other species, as the horse, through repeated 

 injections of the animal with the specific organism in question or 

 its toxin. 



Antiserums are divided into antitoxic and antimicrobial serums. 

 An antitoxic serum is one possessing substances which, in contact 

 with the specific toxin, unite with it, forming chemically stable and 

 physiologically inert compounds. Under the term "antitoxic serum," 

 in addition to antidiphtheritic and antitetanic serums, are grouped anti- 

 serums for the soluble toxins of B. hotulinus (specific meat poisoning), 

 abrin, ricin and crotin (plant toxins), snake venom and spider toxin, 

 and the soluble toxin of B. anthracis symptomatici (blackleg in cattle). 



The antimicrobial serums constitute the majority of serum products. 

 Included among these are antimeningococcic, antistreptococcic, anti- 

 gonococcic, antistaphylococcic, antityphoid, antidysenteric, antirabic,' 

 antipneumococcic, antituberculosis, antiplague, anticholera, antihog 

 cholera, antianthrax serums and serums for swine erysipelas, fowl cholera, 



•Prepared by W. E. King. 



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