. Biology; the story of living things. MAN'S FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL 6:53 to diphtheria could, when inoculated into other animals, confer this immunity upon them. A protective antitoxin was first used in 1893 in Berlin and a perfected antitoxin made from the blood of the horse was used with startling success in this country in 1895. In 1916, a modified treatment in which the toxin of the germ was injected along with the antitoxin resulted in a better protection because the nat- ural defenses of the body were stimulated by the small amount of toxin injected to form antibodies, wliile the antitoxins
. Biology; the story of living things. MAN'S FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL 6:53 to diphtheria could, when inoculated into other animals, confer this immunity upon them. A protective antitoxin was first used in 1893 in Berlin and a perfected antitoxin made from the blood of the horse was used with startling success in this country in 1895. In 1916, a modified treatment in which the toxin of the germ was injected along with the antitoxin resulted in a better protection because the nat- ural defenses of the body were stimulated by the small amount of toxin injected to form antibodies, wliile the antitoxins protected the body from harmful effects. This toxin-antitoxin treatment was in turn improved upon in 1923 by two workers, one in France and the other in England, who found that diphtheria toxin treated with formalin lost its toxic power but at the same time continued to pro- duce immunity. This substance, called a toxoid, bids fair to become the only method used. It will be noted that this is an active immunity and not passive such as that produced by antitoxin. Another control measure against diphtheria has been found in the so-called Schick test, named after its discoverer, Bela Schick. This test shows immediately whether a person is sus- ceptible or immune to the disease. A very minute amount of diphtheria toxin is injected into the outer skin and if the person is susceptible, an almost im- mediate reddening of the skin takes place. In 1926, a five-year program to eliminate diphtheria was tried in New York State deaths per 100,000 cVjildrsn uncCar iS IcCiphtheria in. Kev>6rkXy|. Education of all parents plus the findings of medical science will ultimately stamp out diphtheria. in which several agencies co-operated. In general, the program con- sisted of Schick testing all young children, the susceptible children being immediately treated with toxin-antitoxin. That this program was not completely successful was due to the fact that some people avoided their responsibility.
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