The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-10

rabbits against diphtheria by five diff
ferent methods.
Hitherto, experiments In protective
incubation have involved the employ
ment of attenuated cultures of the bac-
terra of the disease, or of the products
of their decomposition. This method
has been also adopted by DR., Behring,
and with satisfactory results, alt 1Ough
some of the animals experimental on
died under treatment. But, however
important these results emay be for
science, they r cast In the shade by
Behring's new methods, which may
fairly be regarded as indicating an
epoch-making discovery.
Many Of our readers will be familiar
with binoxide of hydrogen. sometimes
used for bleaching; as it possesses dis
injecting properties, Behring tried it as
a remedy against diphtheria in beasts;
he found, however, that instead of
curing the infected animal, it only
FASTENED it's death. Behring next modi-
fed the experiment by first injecting
the superOxidized hydrogen into the
system, and then, a few days later, in
Oculating with the diphtheria bacillus.
The animals thus treated evidenced a
more or less pronounced degree of i'm
munity, some of them being quite
proof against a dose, which, with I'M
fortified rabbits, would have proved
fatal in "a hours.
This important discovery is well cal
culated to arouse our establishment, for
until now it was never known that a
simple manufactured chemical sub
stance Guild by it's INTRODUCED IN into
the system, afford immunity against a
fatal disease.
The experiments with diphtheria are
not yet conclusive, but, as we propose
to show in our next number, another
equally simple substance furnishes rab-
bits with perfect immunity against an
other equally fatal disease-tetanus.
Turning now to Behring's investiga-
tiOns: He infected his animals with
diphtheria by bacillus cultures, and
then underworld to save them ny the
hypOdermic injection of various rem
edies: Some thirty chemicals were
tried, and the best results were achieved
with trichloride of iodine. This secured
perfect immunity to guinea pigs in all
those cases in which it was introduced
within six hours after the infection.
The survivors remained long sick, but
after complete recovery, further -eX-
pS141A0I1U uSL4OLSUIdU0u U1dU Ou0S LO"
enjoyed perfect immunity from diph-
liberia, being unaffected by NEGOTIATIONS
of diph5heria bacilli cultures, which
proved fatal in SO hours with guinea
pigs which had not been subjected to
this treatment.
Unfortunately this iodine-chloride is
so strongly corrosive that it is not suit
able for employment on man. q have
not dared, " says Behring, "tO employ
this remedy with d%iphtheric CHI ldren,
and am still in quest of a suitable
remedy"
These experiments Of Behring indi-
cate that the destruction of the disease
germ in diphtheria is not essential,
provided we can n~eutralize it's waste
products, for to their action the worst
symptoms are traceable.
The fact that the blood of guinea
pigs after treatment with the iodine
chloride render the subject proof
against diphtheric infection, suggests
the question, whether the same immu-
nifty might not be communicated to
man by transmission of the fortified
blood.
This is the direction in which Drs.
Behring and Kitasato have achieved
such unqualified success in their treat
ment of tetanus, an account of which
we reserve for our next issue, remark
ing here only that mice, almost at the
last gasp, al be restored with GER
tainty by the new treatment. -GGrten-
LGUbe, Leipzig, January.