The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-30
ANTI-TOxIN SERUM.
DIR. KinyOn's observations I'm Berlin
inspectors Needed.

inspectors Needed.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29--The officials OF
the United States Marine Hospital Service
are watching with interest the results OBJ
tanned from the new dphtheria cure. The
officials are already in possession of con-
siderable Information as to the manner and
results of applying the anti-toxin in Ber-
lin and Paris. and the bureau recently pub
lished two reports made by DR.. j. j. Kin
yon, who visited the chidren's hospital at
the former place and the Pasteur Institute
at Paris to study the methods in vogue
there. The Doctors report of his visit to
the Pasteur Institute has already been
made public. At the children's hospital in
Berlin. DR.. Kinyon says. the larger proper
ton of cases suffering from diphtheria are
treated. There were about thirty-five cases
In the hospital at the time of his visit and
their age was usually less than six years
The methods of giving the injections OF anti
toxin and the time for their administration
are much the same as in the Pasteur In
sutute. The death rate is slightly lower
than the figures of the Paris hospitals, for
the reason that in the first place the pa
tents are sent TO the hospital sooner, and
because the little children receive better
care than is accorded them in like inst.-
tutions in Paris.
DIR. KiEyon goes into very elaborate
description OF the methods and practices
employed in the hospital in the treatment
of the disease. The matter of the control
or supervision of the use OF anti-toxin is
also engaging the attention of the local au.
thorities, and DR.. Kinyon reports that on
Nov Prof. Koch convened a meeting of
mining what action should be taken in that
regard. Prof. Koch had expressed the opin-
ion that there Should be some government
ways be relied upon. Ii there was no such
supervision ii would not be long before
spurious articles would be put on the mar
would "A
be brought into disrepute but lives would be
sacrificed when they might be saved. 1t
was decided at the meeting of the board
that all serum intended for use in Prussia
should be inspected and tested for it's purity
and strength before 1t would be allowed TO
be used. This step. the Doctor reports.
! was satisfactory to all the parties con-
cerned. and will be the means of insurng
a good article of standard strength at all
| In this connection DR.. Kinyon calls at
tention 10 what ne says Will evidently oc-
| cur in our own country. Many persons will,
during the coming year; commence TO pre-
| pare the serum business enterprise,
| and there will without doubt be many
| worthless articles called anti-toxin thrown
| on the market. All the serum offered for
| sale, he believes, should be made or tested
| should be done by disinterested parties.
THE anti-toxin,' he says, will never work
miracles; it has its limits like any other
| agent and, like a perfect piece of machin-
unless directed by a skilled hand. Some
| persons affected with this dread disease
| will succumb, it matters not how soon the
| remedy is applied. The majority will, how
! ever, l am sure, recover IL the anti-toxin is
| given early and properly. In closing the
/ report he expresses the hope that soon
| every State and municipality Will take the
| proper steps to provide facilities for sup
| plying the remedy to the people. Incor-
| porated in the report are a number of ia
bles or charts showing the effects on the
| respiration, pulse and temperature of the
| administration of anti-toxin in various
| cases.