EXPERIMENTS WITH TOXINS. 



phorous (poisonous) group has probably destruction by 

 begun. Toxophores. 



It is important for students to remember that 

 it is not believed that antitoxin can repair an 

 injury toxin has already accomplished. Repair 

 is dependent upon the recuperative power of the 

 cells themselves. Curative properties are exer- 

 cised by reason of the power of antitoxin to ^eii 

 ivrest or take away forcibly from the cell so Recuperation, 

 muc-h of the toxin that less than a fatal dose is 

 left in the cell. 



There are two points which are important to 

 remember in the study of antitoxin curative 

 treatment. 



(i.) That the antitoxin must be admin- Early 

 istered early in the case, viz., before the toxins ^f'^AmitoSn"" 

 have combined with tissue cells. 



(2.) That a sufficient quantity of antitoxin Toxin 

 must be administered in order to overcome or Neutralization, 

 neutralize the toxin. 



The study of the diseases tetanus and 

 diphtheria and their comparison have brought 

 to light many important facts concerning the 

 principles of serum therapy. 



It has been found that diphtheria antitoxin Diphtheria Anti- 

 has very much greater curative properties than Properties^*'^* 

 tetanus antitoxin. In the test tube, the affinity 

 between the toxin of tetanus and its antitoxin 

 is weak, apparently. Ehrlich found that it 

 takes forty (40) minutes to bring about com- 

 177 



