A modification of diphtheria antitoxin / by A.T. Glenny.

  • Glenny, A. T.
Date:
[1913?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A modification of diphtheria antitoxin / by A.T. Glenny. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    mixed with one test dose, leaves one fatal dose free; in other words, to the volume containing one unit of antitoxin. This ratio corresponds to that between the Lq- and Lo doses of the toxin in question. In the example given above the ratio would be as 1*2 is to TO. TABLE I. Units of antitoxin Toxin Local reaction Death 0*95 1 test dose Very large swelling Death on 3rd day L + mixture 1*00 yy Large swelling yy 5th day 1*05 yy yy yy yy 10th-20th day 1*10 yy Moderate swelling Survival 1*15 yy Small swelling yy Lo mixture 1*20 yy No swelling yy The purpose of this note is to call attention to the behaviour of certain sera, the effects of which upon the action of toxin differ from the above type in that they possess in a relatively high degree the property of neutralising the power of diphtheria toxin to produce local reaction, but have comparatively little effect upon its lethal power. The serum exhibiting this anomaly in the most marked degree was obtained under the following conditions. In the course of a study of the rate of deterioration in unit value of diphtheria antitoxic serum at various temperatures over a long period, the result of which I hope shortly to publish, I have had occasion to test serum which has been kept for seven years at 37° C. Table II shows the results of tests of a certain serum after different periods at this temperature. The serum has been kept in hermetically sealed phials and is sterile. The initial unit value was 440 units. These tests were made against a toxin (J. 967) with average minimal lethal dose 0*004 c.c., Lo 0 33 c.c., and L-f- 0*40 c.c., and injections of mixtures of fresh serum and this toxin usually gave rise to local re¬ actions if less than 1*2 units of antitoxin were present in the mixture with one test dose of toxin. The history of other batches of serum which have been kept for a considerable period at high temperatures is very similar and one more example is given in Table III. It will be seen that such sera have no true Lo value and con¬ sequently the “ differential region ” no longer exists. Progressive stages of modification are now being traced in a batch of horse serum kept at 37° C. and tested every few months. Successive tests have shown a diminution in size of the local reactions caused by
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