16 
toxon during the winter months than during the summer. A varia- 
tion probably dependent on the kind of food supplied and possibly 
also on the ventilation of their quarters. . 
(h) Guinea pigs of increased resistance to the "toxin” fraction of 
the poison produced by the diphtheria bacdlus also show a well- 
marked iucreasc in resistance toward toxon. That is, they are less 
frequently afflicted with paralysis than are animals of normal resist- 
ance when treated with unsaturated but nonfatal toxiu-antitoxm 
mixtures. 
3. For gtiinea pigs of normal resistance at least the nearer the L — 
dose is approached, supposing the animal to survive the necessary 
length of time, the greater the chance of paralysis developing. 
CAX ANTITOXIN INFLUENCE DIPHTHERITIC PARALYSIS AFTER THE 
PARALYSIS HAS APPEARED? 
Antitoxic serum has been extensively used in France as a cirrative 
agent for tins sequel and many cases of complete recovery have been 
reported following its use. after the appearance of paralytic symp- 
toms. 
Comby." 190-i. claims never to have lost a case after its adminis- 
tration. Pvecently ckugust. 1906), Comby^ reports further cases 
illustratiug the value of antidiphtheritic serum in the treatment of 
diphtheritic paralysis. He advocates the free use of the serum 
whether or not it had been previously used in the treatment of the 
primary disease. He used 10 to 20 cubic centimeters of the French 
serum according to age, repeated daily for three, four, or five days 
if necessary. 
Kolleston,*' coromentiug on Comby’s report, pomts out that the 
mortahty of post-diphtheritic paralysis has always been very low 
and intimates that the reported cases of cure after the administration 
of antidiphtheritic serum would have recovered as qmckly without it. 
From our own experimental evidence obtained upon guinea pigs 
it seems to us useless to give diphtheria antitoxic serum to control 
the paralysis after the paralysis has appeared. 
oComby. J.: Paralysies diphtherique queries par lo serum. Arr-h. de med. ent.. 
Paris, vol. 7, 1904, pp. 411-417. 
& Comby, J. ; Paralysie diphterique guerie par le serum. Arch, de med. enf.. vol. 
9. uo. S. August, 1906, pp. 4S0-4S4. 
: Traitement des paralysies diphtheriques. Bull, et mem. soc. med. de 
hop. de Paris, 3 s., a'oL 23, no. 21. June 21, 1906. pp. 626-631. 
<^Polleston, J. D.: Lancet, July 7 and Sept. 24, 1906. 
