\ 



Serumtherapy of Advanced Botulism. 253 



while in cases of active infantile tetany it is 



327 + 24.9 

 5.8+2.1 = 44 ^ 



If the calcium were to remain the same, the ratio would be 27.8. 

 It is therefore evident that the change in the ratio of (Na + K)/ 

 (Ca + Mg) is due almost wholly to the decrease in the concentra- 

 tion of calcium. 



129 (1711) 

 Serumtherapy of advanced botulism. 



By J. BRONFENBRENNER and H. WEISS. 



[From the Department of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, Harvard 

 Medical School, Boston.] 



In the course of a series of investigations designed for the 

 purpose of establishing the path of absorption of botulinus toxin 

 in guinea pigs, a number of animals were kept under ether for 

 the purpose of surgical manipulation. It was observed that in such 

 animals death following the introduction of toxin was greatly de- 

 layed. Whereas normal guinea pigs of 350 grams given 50,000 

 minimal lethal doses 1 of botulinus toxin intraperitoneally show 

 symptoms of dyspnea in one hour and invariably die in about 

 two hours, guinea pigs similarly injected but put under ether 

 anesthesia for two hours as soon as dyspnea occurs {i.e., one hour 

 after the injection of toxin) will survive for four hours and by 

 prolonging the period of anesthesia, the life of the animals can be 

 correspondingly prolonged. 



We thought that advantage could be taken of this delay in 

 the rate of the progress of the intoxication under ether anesthesia 

 to permit toxin antitoxin combination to take place. Two series 

 of guinea pigs were given 50,000 minimal lethal doses of botulinus 

 toxin per os. Guinea pigs thus fed show first symptoms of in- 

 toxication in about six hours and die in about twelve hours. After 

 six hours the first series received antitoxin intravenously while the 

 second series was given antitoxin in a similar manner but at the 



1 The minimal lethal dose used throughout this paper is the amount that is 

 necessary to kill a mouse of 15 grams in less than four days by intraperitoneal in- 

 jection. 



