THERAPEUTIC NOTES.* 
By Dr. K. W. Stowder, for Dr. H. Jensen. 
Some communities are badly infested with tetanus, and the 
.best forms of prevention and treatment are always of interest. 
No one doubts the value of antitoxin as a preventive, but some 
seem to feel a doubt regarding its therapeutic value. 
Possibly the best way to look at the matter is this : Thorough 
cleanliness of all parts about the wound is absolutely neces¬ 
sary, of course. That is, providing it can be found. Open the 
wound wide, because oxygen is a foe to the growth of the organ¬ 
ism. Now take stock of the symptoms. If the animal seems 
able to move about and is not too stiff, get antitoxin (veterin¬ 
ary) and give it in large doses. Not less than 3,000 units at a 
time and not less than 10,000 during the first 24 hours. Then 
watch the animal closely and give several small doses as symp¬ 
toms seem to demand, in order to keep him relaxed enough to 
rest and eat. If the wound is cleansed daily and some assistance 
given until the patient starts to make antitoxin himself, most of 
them will recover. Large and frequent doses of potassium and 
sodium bromide in the drinking water are, as a rule, valuable 
assistants to the control of the symptoms. To those who have 
not had success I would recommend the use of larger doses, 
given more frequently, and to watch symptoms closely in regu¬ 
lating the dose. 
Good catharsis is valuable, so do not neglect an early use of 
cathartics. 
The use of antitoxin intravenously has been suggested, and, 
* Presented to the Semi-annual Meeting of the Missouri Valley Veterinary Medical 
Association. 
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