The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-25
HEALTH's NEWEST WEAPON.
Anti To1ine" to Be Distributed
Among Physicians OF This City.
Prof. koch's New Lymph Said to
Overcome Diphtheria Germs.

II the Health Department can secure
the necessary appropriation from the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment
1t will soon begin to distribute among
the physicians Of this city what is
claimed to be a marvellous cure for
dlphtheria II used In time.
1t Is also said to be an absolutely sure
preventive in the cases of those who
have been exposed to this dreadful
scourge Of childhood.
This remedy Is known as the Anti
Toxine," and WAS discovered recently in
the Institution for Infectious Diseases
at Berlin, of which the celebrated Prof.
Koch Is tn head.
This panacea for diphtheria is utilized
n the blood In much the same manner
as vaccine virus Is used in cases OF
smallpox; but the mode of administer
ing the treatment Is considerably differ
-nt.
Commissioner Cyrus Edison is the chief
promulgator on the part of the Health
Department to combat contagion, and
ne IL very enthusiastic over the. pro.
| Ipective bencil that "anti-toxine" will
afford the public.
lne 49,. ......- treatment rests on the
following facts. 1t has been found that
disease and RECEIVERS from it, that that
person cannot contract that disease
lgain for greater or less length of
time. Many infectious diseases are
known to be caused by specific germs.
Death from an infectious disease Is not
caused by the germ of that disease, but
by poison Uoxine) created by the
germ, In diphtheria, the Klebs-Loeffier
Dacilli OF the disease create a poison
| which. when absorbed from the throat
by the body, causes death.
The reason why a person who has
covered from an infectious disease
cannot take that disease again tor a
period of time Is because there has been
| created in the body of that person an
| anti -toxine, some substance which
neutralizes the poison UuxIne) of the
disease, just as acid neutralizes an
Ilkali.
In diphtheria, an attack of the dis
Immunity from the disease for time.
This Is because the body has acquired
tolerance of the poison created by the
oacilli. In other words. the body has in
pr. Koch has found that If large
animals such as horses and cows be
given. small doses of diphtheria bacilli
they become slightly sick. Giving them
then anather and another, there comes
time when no dose of diphtheria
bacilli will make them sick. They have
then developed In the blood the anti
which Will neutralize the poison Of
iiphtheria.
The blood Of these animals then be-
comes an antidote to this poison. 1t is
drawn Off In such quantities as will not
lmpare the animals, and may be used
at once on person who has just con-
tracted the disease. As. however, the
Injection. of the blood of an animal into
man would create fever. the serum
OF the animals blood is separated be-
fore II liz used.
Bureau of Bacteriology OF the Health
Department, who has recently returned
from Berlin, where he was sent by the
periors the whole plan OF the new treat
mem. and also fthe culture Of anti
toxine,' which. as In the case OF vac
cine virus, Is extracted from the COW.
Prof Biggs was present at the institu-
ton when go experiments were made.