Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-02-18
Prof. Merton Field of the Agriculture
College Describes Effects of
Antitoxin.
Valuable and Almost Specific Remedy
in Diphtheria When Promptly
Administered.
Various Items of Local News Gath.
cred in and Around the City
of Bismarck.
Antitoxin and Its Use in the Treat.
ment of D%iphtheria.

AASAAI VI OApA4lAACA ID.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: In II western cities
people often hesitate in using natures
specific for %diphtheria, antitoxin, until
it is to late. Doubtless this is natural
because few of us have had experience
in it's use. Many have never heard of it
even except through Newspaper reports,
or occasional magazine articles, which
are seldom read by the masses.
4. proper understanding of the nature
of %antitoXine would do much to allay
fears as to it's use or probable results.
Diphtheria is a bacterial disease.
These bacteria, commonly called germs,
are vegetable organisms. These germs
gaining a foothold in the delicate mucus
membrane increase rapidly in numbers.
Like all other disease producing germs
they elaborate a specific poison. This
poison circulating throughout tho
system gives rise to systemic disorders.
The bacterial poisons form two general
classes, viz. the ptomains and toxins.
They differ in their chemical nature,
also in their toxic effects, the toxins
being more violent poisons than the
ptomains.
We all know that II attack of small
pox is a guard against a second attack;
the same is true of many other diseases.
This acquired immunity is probably due
to the presence of an antitoxin in the
system. "Antitoxin is a substance
formed in the tissues, not a product of
bacterial growth, but of tissue energy,
not depending upon the presence of
bacteria, but upon the presence of a
poison" Its physiological effect is to
neutralize the ptomains and toxins thus
making them inert. In vaccination we
introduce the virus of the cow-pox into
the system. This poison acting upon
the tissues forms an antitoxin, thus
giving immunity. Every disease germ
probably, indirectly, produces it's own
antltoxin, which in turn neutralizes
the poison producing it. Cow-pox is
now believed to be a weakened, or
attenuated, form of smallpox.
The antitoxin Of diphtheria is pro-
duced by i%noculating animals, generally
horses, with the toxin of the diphtheria
germs. The toxins are obtained for the
purpose by developing the germs in a
prepared beef boullion. After the re-
CURED time for incubation the boullion
is filtered. The germ free fluid remain
ing is injected into the horse at in
tervals during a period of several
months, or until the horse becomes
immune. When experimental tests
show that the process has been carried
far enough, the horse is bled, and the
serum separated from the cellular ele-
ments of the blood. This blood serum
is the anti-toXine used in the treatment
of diphtheria. It is harmless in it's
effects even when introduced into the
healthy system. In the treatment of
diphtheria it is almost a specific if used
during the first three days of the
disease, but later than that it is
practically ineffective. During epidemics
OF diphtheria it is often used in small
quantities as Il preventative. Small
poX, d%iphtheria, anthrax, %tatanus, and
hog-cholera have all Yielded their