S80 MICROBIOLOGY OF SPECIAL INDUSTRIES 



theria antitoxin, being usually distributed in glass syringe containers. 

 The product is used in botb human and veterinary practic^. 



Antimicrobial Serums 



In additioh to diphtheria and tetanus antitoxins, certain other 

 antiserums are rapidly attaining practical significance. At present, 

 however, no methods are in use by which any antiserums other than 

 diphtheria and tetanus antitoxins can be accurately standardized as 

 to potency. Nevertheless, most of the products can bcx submitted to 

 rigid tests in order to determine the presence of protective qualities. 



Antimeningococcic Serum. — Horses are immunized to cultures of 

 a number of strains of M. iniracellularis var. meningitidis, the activity 

 of the resulting serum being determined by agglutination and com- 

 plement fixation tests. Antimeningococcic serum is used in the active 

 treatment of cerebrospinal meningitis and is administered by lumbar 

 puncture. The dose depends principally upon the age of the patient 

 and the condition of the blood pressure. 



Antistreptococcic Serum. — Bouillon cultures of Strept. pyogenes 

 are killed by heating, and injected into horses in increasingly larger 

 doses. Frequently, the killed cultures used in treating the horses are 

 composed of several different strains of the streptococcus. , In this case 

 the resulting antistreptococcic serum is designated as "polyvalent," 

 while the serum obtained after the injection of cultures consisting of 

 but one strain of the organism, is called " monovalent" antistreptococcic 

 serum. 



In procuring the serum, handling, filtering, preserving and dis-. 

 tributing for use, the methods are practically the same as those em- 

 ployed in the preparation of antidiphtheritic serum. 



Antistreptococcic serum is carefully tested in regard to safety and 

 freedom from microbial contamination. There are no methods avail- 

 able for definitely standardizing the product. The serum is often 

 efficacious in cases of streptococcic infection. 



Antigonococcic Serum.^ — Killed cultures of M. gonorrhoea are 

 injected intraperitoneally or intravenously into large, healthy rams, or 

 other animals. -The dosage is increased and finally live cultures are 

 applied, the degree of immunity acquired being determined by com- 

 plement fixation and agglutination tests of the serums from the animals. 



