30 
Our results upon the guinea pig correspond Avith the statistics of 
post-diphtheritic paral^^sis in man following treatment Avith antitoxic 
serum. We aa^ouM, hoAA^eA^er, expect antitoxin AAdien gh^en in massiA^e 
doses to haA^e a more favorable influence upon paralysis in man than 
in guinea pigs, for the reason that our experimental animals receWed 
24 minimal lethal doses of toxine but partially neutralized AAUth anti- 
toxic serum. This produces an early and fatal form of paral 3 ’sis. 
In man this malignant form but rarely folloAA^s cases that haA^e 
recovered from diphtheria. If, then, AA*e are able to modify or 
control this sequel and saA^e life in the guinea pig by using anti- 
toxin fort}^-eight hours after infection AA^e could expect a like bene- 
ficial result in man to folloAv the use of antitoxin a longer period 
after the onset of illness. We gaA^e our guinea pigs the extreme 
charge of toxine at once; in man the toxine is doubtless elaborated 
and absorbed more sloAAdy. Therefore, the folloAAung figures are 
significant : 
Petit® found that in 48 cases of paralysis obserA^ed at the Hopital 
des Enfants malades, folloAAung diphtheria, treated AAuth serum, the 
folloAAung: 
Cases treated about the 2nd day, 6.25 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
Cases treated about the 3rd day, 19 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
Cases treated about the 4th day, 24.70 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
Cases treated about the 7th day, 38.70 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
Monti ^ states that of the cases treated — 
About the 3rd day of the disease, 8 per cent deA^eloped parah^sis. 
About the 4th day of the disease, 12 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
About the 5th day of the disease, 33.3 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
About the 6th day of the disease, 50 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
About the 7th day of the disease, 66.2 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
Reichsfald^ says that of cases treated — 
About the 2nd day of the disease, 25 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
About the 3rd day of the disease, 33 per cent deA^eloped paralysis. 
About the 5th day of the disease, 50 per cent developed paralysis. 
See also Rolleston’s cases, page 13. 
CAN ANTITOXIN, GIVEN BEFORE INFECTION AS A PROPHYLACTIC, 
PREVENT POST-DIPHTHERITIC PARALYSIS? 
Although AA^e have but limited data upon this question \ve are 
enabled to ansAA^er it affirmatiA^eh". EA^en so small a quantity as one 
unit, gh^en to a guinea pig tAATnty-four hours before the injection of 
“ Petit, Rene; Note sur 48 cas de paralysis diplitlieretique. Rev. mens. mal. enf.. 
vol. 15, 1897, p. 76. 
b Monti., "Wiener med. Wocli., 1895, no. 4 and 5. 
c Reichsfald. PtOA’iie hebdomadaire 1895 no. 6 (text in 'Russian). 
