TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 41 



According to Vaillard, a quintillionth of a cubic 

 centimeter of this antitetanic serum suffices to 

 preserve one gramme of living mouse from the 

 efEects of a dose of tetanic serum that would other- 

 wise be surely fatal. 



In the animal, the antitoxins are eliminated 

 mostly by the fluids of the body, and particularly 

 by the urine. Ehrlich has demonstrated that they 

 also pass into the milk, and this fact is confirmed 

 by a large number of observers. It explains the 

 immunity acquired by nurslings, and which is 

 transmitted by the milk. 



Serotherapy. — The search for antitoxins and their 

 r61e in the etiology of infectious diseases are funda- 

 mental points in actual therapy. It has been demon- 

 strated that the serums of certain vaccinated animals 

 enjoy very extended antitoxic therapeutic properties ; 

 for instance, the serum of vaccinated rabbits is an 

 antivenom towards erysipelas ; and the sterilized cul- 

 tures of the pneumococcus or of the Bacillus pyo- 

 cyaneus prevents infection of carbtmcle (anthrax). 



The antivenomous serum of the ass immunized 

 by injections of increasing doses of the venom of 

 the terrible naja is a perfect prophylactic and cura- 

 tive, not only as regards the venom of this serpent, 

 but also against that of the crotalus, trigonocephalus, 

 and viper. 



We shall take up the study of serotherapeutics in 

 another volume of this collection. 



