Active immunisation against diphtheria : the present position / by R.A. O'Brien.

  • O'Brien, Richard Alfred, 1878-1970.
Date:
1926?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Active immunisation against diphtheria : the present position / by R.A. O'Brien. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    immunity. Most of the published work in England was apparently done either with mixtures of this type or of the toxoid antitoxin type previously mentioned. These latter preparations appear to have a double margin of safety. They contain toxoid mixed with a quantity of antitoxin and thereafter diluted ten times. The toxoid is itself almost or completely devoid of toxicity. This change from toxin to toxoid is apparently an irreversible one, for in all the intense study of this field by various workers during the past few years there has arisen no evidence suggesting that toxoid in this condition can revert to toxin. Even if this very unlikely change took place and some of the toxoid were reconverted to toxin, the mixture contains sufficient antitoxin to neutralise a large amount of toxin. Lines of Future Progress. With regard to possible progress in the future, the main effort is being directed along three lines. The first is to provide active immunisation for children of pre-school age who are likely to be exposed to diphtheria. Most of the work hitherto has been carried out with children aged 6 and upwards, but a great deal of diphtheria occurs in younger children. The second is to increase the immunising efficiency of the prophylactic so that one could obtain the same efficiency of immunisation with two injections or even one, which one now obtains with three. Along these lines progress must be slow. It is easy to make immunising mixtures of very high efficiency in the laboratory. Thus Glenn y and co-workers have described a preparation which will make animals negative to the Schick test in 12 days, but the transfer of such work to human practice must be slow, for the greatest caution is necessary. The other effort is to shorten the number of tests and injections by combining them. Park is directing effort to a mixture which when injected will indicate the response to the Schick test and at the same time will act as an immunising agent. In England there are at present (1926) being tried mixtures which will, when injected intracutaneouslv into animals, produce a Schick test reaction, and at the same time supply an efficient immunising stimulus. One can thus, when each immunising intradermic injection is given, get an indication of the condition of the patient and know exactly when to cease the injections. The Lancet Office, 1, Bedford Street, Strand, W.0.2.