138 



DIPHTHERIA 



and the sum of ^iooo was given by the Gold- 

 smiths' Company. The letter offering this gift is 

 pleasant reading now : — 



"The attention of the Goldsmiths' Company 

 has been drawn to the reports of the antitoxin 

 treatment of diphtheria, which has recently created 

 so much interest, both on the Continent and in this 

 country : and the Company are led to believe that, 

 although this treatment has not, perhaps, as yet 

 passed out of the stage for experiment, there is 

 much reason to hope that further investigations 

 may lead to the attainment of a remedy which will 

 largely reduce the mortality arising from this 

 terrible disease. 



" The Company are informed that there is great 

 difficulty at the present time in obtaining a supply 

 of serum adequate to the treatment of patients on 

 an extended scale, and that the cost of the serum is 

 also heavy. The Company also understand that 

 while, on the Continent, experiments are being con- 

 tinued with funds provided from public sources, 

 the work must be left in this country to private 

 enterprise and liberality. Under these circumstances 

 the Company have decided to make a grant of 

 ,£1000 for the purpose of prosecuting research 

 work in connection with this treatment, with which 

 they desire to combine, if possible, the supply of 

 serum for use among the poorer classes of the 

 community." 



Dr Sims Woodhead, then Director of the 

 Laboratories of the Conjoint Colleges, now Pro- 

 fessor of Pathology at Cambridge, was put in 

 charge of the bacteriological work and the pre- 



