Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-23
ABOUT ANTI-TOXINE.
Rspsn u Censal.Gsastu Mason d
Fllllblt Germany.
YHE LABORATORY IT HoEcHsl.
Detailed Accoaas q the Preeess Of Making
As O1phtheria Remedy
ef Its Operation.
New York Times,

public ~ that OF Consul-General Mason.
cent from Frankfort. and recently repro
duced In part In some Of the newspapers.
To those who are making study Of the
production and efficacy. as a preventive
OF diphtheris. OF anti-toxine. his account
OF its production and use win be particu-
larry Interesting and valuable at this
time. when the medical world is watch
Ing the application OF the new .dea with
the strictest attention. The report is as
follows:
The discovery Of anti-toxine as a new
agent for the prevention and cure OF diph-
iberia was announced by Professor Emil
Behring. OF Hallet. about four years ago.
Although received at first with more or
less incredulity. the new remedy has
borne successfully the test OF actual use
by number OF eminent practitioners In
Germany and other countries. several of
whom presented reports. embodylng their
experiences and conclusions at the recent
International medical conference. in Buda-
by all the authorities as one Ct the most
o><i1t anu uiSCoNesftc III
modern pathology. 1t has been applied IN
Paris by DIR. Roux and his associates,
with the declared result OF reducing the
diphtheritic death-rate from 20 per cent.
60 II per cent, and for this service Or.
Roux has been publicly thanked by the
President OF the republic.
Since the publication OF DR.. Behring's
treatise on the subject no secret or mys-
tery has surrounded the nature Of anti
toxine or the conditions Of It's use so far
as these had then been demonstrated,
but. for the reason that its manufacture
IS difficult and expensive. involving tedi-
Gus preparation of materials. scrupulous
care. and the use OF complicated appa>
ratus OF production. the new remedy has
until quite recently fallen far short OF
meeting the constantly-erowing demand.
which. especially since the conference at
Buda-Pesth. has come with increased
with Increased inslstence from every civ,
flied country where diphtheria is recog-
mixed as one Of the most fatal and per-
sisteht scourges OF the human race.
Through the employment OF a liberal
endowment. raised by popular subscrip>
ton at Paris antitoxine has been made
there for the supply OF the local hos.
pitfalls. and measurably for the use OF
practicing physicians throughout the city
and immediate vicinity. A small quanti-
~ has been produced at Berlin. and es-
adjustments for its manufacture are in
construction at Milan and Buda-Pesth.
but the one place where II has been ana
now is manufactured In quantities at all
commensurate with the demand Is at the
Farbwerke, in goechst-on-Main. near
Frankfort. one of the Oldest and most
important manufacturing laboratories.
which have given 10 the aniline chemical
industry Of Germany Its acknowledged
pre-eminence.
THE WORK AT FARRWERKE
II Is now about eighteen months since
The Farbwerke took up the process Of Dr.
Behring and began the manufacture OF
anti-toxlne. under the direction OF
skilled bacterologist. designated by the
inventor. The material al first used was
the blood Of sheep and goats. but, for the
reason that those animals In grazing
were liao.e 10 eat plants which might az
feet the quality OF their tissues, recourse
was had to horses. which now are en-
ployed exclusively 10 furnish the blood
serum In which the anti-toxine Is GeVeI-
oped and contained.
From a small installation, the anti-tox'ne
department has become an important
branch OF the vas. establishment. IN
which the blood OF twenty-sx horses Is
utilized by a corps OF chemists, veierina-
.ians. and various operatives, numbering
more than fifty men. In the month or
September las. the entire product OF the
laboratory could not be. made 10 exceeu
400 doses OF anu-tOXine. and many nun
dreds OF urgent orders when came V!
mall and telegraph from FAR ana near
had 20 be refused. but the WORKS were en-
larged repeatedly. 80 that during NoVeih-
- "a oo doses were delivered. There now
a.. nroiuced about ZOO doses day, ana
nv the end OF January 1t is expected tina,
,he establishment at Hoechst will be able
% s,ur.ly any demand which the repeat
civ extending use OF the remedy may de-
velop. ., ...,,,,-
facture involves necessarily some account
OF the nature OF anti-toxine and the prih-
chile upon which its propiyiactlc aetion ue-
nenas. Or. Behring found that when an
animal BY nature susceptible TO oiph-
.harsa was inoculated repeatedly with
srradusI,v.,ncreased doses OF dphther,a
Doison II became finally immune to the
noIson Of that disease. and there was
S.veIon.a IN the tissues of the animal
60 tried an anti-toxine principle Whlch
had the power to neutralize ana rehoer
trnocu,us the poison which was secreted
nv the diphtheria bacillus. as Demon
stra,ed In 1854 by Leofiier-the poisonous
secretion. as is well known. forming the
source OF danger in diphtheria
The neutralizing agent thus created -
named anti-toxine, and is the specine
vhIch forms the basis Of the new treat
ynent OF diphtheric diseases. both as
nrsventiye and as a remedy in cases that
sc,usliv have been developed. Precisely
,rhat this anti-toxic agent Is has not been
demonstrated. Chemistry has not sepa'
rated and defined its constituent elements
tut its action is perfectly UNDERSTOOD a.
an.,oyou. 10 that OF hydrated oxide OF
from when used as an antidote Tor ar
senical poisoning In the presence Oh ar
senic the oxide unites win the pois"i
and forms combination which IL ho'
poisonous. In a smaller manner the an
s,,oxIn. attacks and neutralizes the pol
son secured by the bacillus OF diphtheria
snd This. so far as experience has shown
without subsequent injury TO the tssue'
or nretudice 10 any of the functions o.
human life. ,.,.
Anti-toxine may be obtained In highly
concentrated form by either OF twe
methods: First-Through precipitation
from the serum solution by means @,
sulphate OF ammonia or hydroxioe o'
aluminium, and in this case the resulting
precipitatcs are mixed WIN alkaline so
buttons and evaporated IN Vacuo al ~"
,smnerature. Second-The original solu
zion may be evaporated directly. TO dry
ness leaving the dessicated anti-toxine a.
q residue.
ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS.
The essential conditions In the prepare
&ion Of diphtheria anti-toxine are abso
luteiy pure and healthy animal serum
thorough knowledge of bacterioiogica
processes. absolute cleanliness and care
at every stage OF the operation. TIT
horse Is one Of the most susceptible o.
animals 10 diphtheria. and, being not onl,
tractabie and easily kept under requisite
conditions. but capable OF supplying
large quantity OF blood. IL best suteC
for the purpose. The horses now In ser
vice al Hoechst We're chosen with ever,
precau;lon-,he requisites being youth
vigor. and perfect physical health.
No racing thoroughbred was eve
housed fed. watered exercised. and cared
for more scrupulously than these choser
animals which give their blood for th'
healing OF human kind. The stables arr
under the supervision Of a veterinary sur
reon, and when a new horse Is intro
duced he is kept for "a period under clos'
observation to detect any symptom, how
ever slight Of anteceoent injury or dis
ease. II no such defect Is discovered. h
IL put on the active list. his stall Il
.N..N l.N.AI IL IL ...l