100 ACTIVITIES OF BACTERIA. 



this neutralization as only apparent, and maintained that 

 both antitoxin and toxin continue together, but mutually 

 hide each other because they influence the same animal 

 organism in opposite ways, somewhat like atropin and 

 muscarin. Now Buchner (Miinch. med. Wochenschr. , 

 1899, 523), especially since the work of Knorr (Z. H. xiii, 

 407), has accepted essentially the views of Behring. The 

 principal proofs for these views are : (1) Dilute solutions 

 of toxin and antitoxin neutralize each other more slowly 

 than concentrated ones (in higher dilutions many chemi- 

 cal reactions occur slowly). (2) Equalized toxin and 

 antitoxin mixtures after heating or long storage remain 

 non-toxic, while toxin is much more resistant than anti- 

 toxin. (3) Animals into which are injected subcutane- 

 ously corresponding mixtures of toxin and antitoxin, after 

 two hours show no antitoxin in the blood, although the 

 toxin is much more rapidly absorbed. Finally, it is very 

 noticeable that ricin (poisonous albuminous body from 

 ricinus seeds) and antiricin act also antagonistically 

 upon dead bodies in vitro (diluted blood) as if they neu- 

 tralized each other ; the antiricin increases the coagulating 

 action of ricin (Ehrlich, Fort. derMed., 1897, 41). Simi- 

 larly rattlesnake poison (cobra toxin) in vitro dissolves 

 red corpuscles, while cobra antitoxin hinders this action. 

 Stephens-Meyers (London Lancet, Mar. 5, 1898, 644). 



As to opposing statements : Take an animal that is pro- 

 tected against a mixture of toxin and antitoxin, but not 

 also protected against two, four, six, or ten times the quan- 

 tity of the mixture (Bomstein and others). Cobbett and 

 Kanthack assert as their positive opinion, at least in the 

 case of diphtheria, that, if the toxin has been completely 

 neutralized, even ten times the quantity of the mixture 

 could be tolerated (C. B. xxiv, 129), but, naturally, if 

 the mixture contains a shght excess of toxin, ten times 

 the quantity would be injurious. 



Reference must be made to the incompletely understood 

 fact that to a neutralizing mixture of toxin and antitoxin 

 a very large quantity of toxin must l)e added before slight 

 toxic action results from its injection, but that also very 

 large quantities of antitoxin are required to again over- 

 come this weak toxic action. 



