The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-25
.HEALTH's NEWEST WEAPON.
Anti Toxine" 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
II will soon begin to distribute among
the physicians of this city what is
claimed 10 be a marvellous cure for
diphthoria 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
in the blood In much the same manner
as vaccine virus IL used in cases of
smallpox: but the mode OF administer
ing the treatment Is considerably differ
ent.
Commissioner Cyrus Edison is the chief
promulgator on the part OF the Health
Department to combat contagion, and
he Is very enthusiastic over the pro-
spective benefits that "anti-toxine" will
The anti-toXine treatment rests on the
following facts. 1t has been found that
where a person contracts an infectious
disease and RECEIVERS from it, that that
person cannot contract that disease
time. Many Infectious 'e disea ens'n are G
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- Loeffler
bactlli Of the disease create a poison
which, when absorbed from the throat
by the body, causes death.
The reason why person who has
recovered from an infectious disease
n N No IN la.' hnN al
period of time is because there has been
created in the body of that person an
anti toXlne. some substance which
neutralizes the poison Uoxine) of the
disease, just as acid neutralizes an
alkali
In diphtheria. an attack OF the dis
ease which is recovered from gives
This is because the body has asr ACQUIRED slms
tolerance of the poison created by the
bacilli. In other words. the body has In
1t the anti.toxine.
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
another dose after they get well, and
time when, no, dose. of diphtheria
bacilli will make them sick. They have
then developed in the blood ahe anti
which will neutralize the poison Of
diphtheria.
The blood of these animals then be-
comes an antidote TO this poison. 1t is
drawn off In such quantities as will not
impare 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
a man would create fever, the serum
Of the animals blood is separated be-
fore 1t Is used.
Prof Herman H. Blggs, chief of the
Bureau of Bacteriology of the Health
Department, who has recently returned
from Berlin, where he was sent by the
department, has transmitted to his su-
periors the whole plan of the new treat
ment, and also fthe culture OF "antl-
tpxine which. as In the case of vac
cine virus, is extracted from the cow
Prof Biggs was present at the institu-
lion when $50 experiments were made.