766 
Diphtheria  Antitoxin. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1918. 
trodes,  causes  precipitation.  The  protein  mass  collected  at  the 
anode,  when  dissolved  in  weak  NaOH,  possesses  antitoxic  value. 
The  serum  also  possesses  antitoxic  powers.5  Precipitation  by  zinc 
ions  may  here  play  a  part.  But  Field  and  Teague,  using  platinum 
electrodes,  claim  that  both  diphtheria  toxin  and  its  antitoxin  are 
electro-positive  and  pass  to  the  cathode  from  passage  of  the  110- 
volt  direct  current.0  They  claim  the  response  is  the  same  whether 
alkaline  or  acid  solutions  are  used.  However,  the  technique  of  these 
experiments  of  Field  and  Teague  has  been  criticized  by  Landsteiner 
and  Pauli7  and  by  Bechhold.s 
It  is  well  to  remember  that  certain  proteins  in  neutral  solution  do 
not  move  toward  either  pole,  but  in  acid  solution  travel  toward  the 
cathode,  and  in  alkaline  solution  toward  the  anode.9  An  amphoteric 
electric  character,  which  is  important  in  maintaining  the  reaction  of 
colloids,  is  better  preserved  in  a  large  than  in  a  small  molecule.10 
As  yet  no  one  has  succeeded  in  isolating  antitoxin  by  means  of  the 
electric  current. 
Direct  sunlight  is  injurious  to  antitoxin.11  Short  exposure,  i.  e., 
several  days,  does  not  seem  to  materially  injure  it.12  Long  exposure 
(four  months)  to  daylight  decreases  its  activity.13  The  injurious 
action  of  yellow  and  of  red  light  is  slight  (six  months'  exposure)  ; 
that  of  blue  light  is  somewhat  more  marked  (five  months)  ;  while 
green  light  does  not  affect  it  on  three  months'  exposure,  but  after 
six  months  causes  marked  injury.14  According  to  Miiller,  O,  H,  N 
and  COo  injure  antitoxin.  The  standard  unit  of  diphtheria 'anti- 
toxin in  Germany  is  kept  over  P20-  in  vacuo  and  in  the  dark. 
The  experiments  on  dialysis  with  those  on  ultra-filtration  and  on 
diffusion  of  the  antitoxin,  open  up  the  question  of  the  size  of  its 
5  Mellanby,  J.,  Proc.  Roy.  Soc.  London,  Series  B,  Vol.  80,  p.  399,  1908. 
6  Field,  C.  W.,  and  Teague,  O.,  Journ.  Exper.  Med.,  Vol.  9,  p.  86,  1907. 
7  Landsteiner,  K.,  and  Pauli,  W.,  Wien.  med.  Woch.,  Vol.  58,  p.  1010,  1908. 
8  Bechhold,  H.,  Muench.  med.  Woch.,  Vol.  54,  p.  1921,  1907. 
9  Hardy,  N.  B.,  Journ.  Physiol,  1899,  Vol.  24,  p.  288;  Pauli,  W.,  Beitr. 
z.  physiol.  u.  Path.  Chem.,  Vol.  7,  p.  531,  1905-6;  see  also  Bancroft,  W.  D., 
Journ.  Phys.  Chem.,  Vol.  19,  p.  349,  1915. 
10  Pick,  E.  P.,  "  Biochemie  der  Antigene."  In  W.  Kolle  and  A.  von 
Wassermann,  "  Handbuch  der  Microorganismen,"  2d  ed.,  Vol.  1,  p.  703. 
11  Palmirski,  L.,  and  Orlowski,  W.,  reference  in  Cent.  f.  Bakter.,  Vol. 
19,  p.  916,  1896. 
12  Marenghi,  G.,  Cent.  f.  Bakter.,  Vol.  22,  p.  520,  1897. 
13  Miiller,  F.,  Cent.  f.  Bakter.,  Vol.  24,  p.  316,  1898. 
14  Miiller,  ibid.,  pp.  251,  316. 
