Antitoxin is contained in the blood serum of horses, which have been
injected with diphtheria toxins, and cannot be entirely separated
from other parts of the serum. The antitoxin itself probably produces
no disturbances, but the serum sometimes causes hives and other
inconveniences which quickly pass away. Probably no person with
diphtheria has been permanently harmed by antitoxin. A few instances
of death have followed the use of small immunizing doses in persons
who were not sick and were subject to “horse asthma”. Such cases can
be counted on the fingers of the hands and appear insignificant when
contrasted with the hundreds of thousands of injections given during
the same time. Diphtheria in one week causes five to ten times as many
deaths as antitoxin serum in thirty years. In our large cities as many
children are killed daily by motor vehicles as have died from antitoxin
serum in thirty years. In the presence of the enormous danger from
diphtheria, we can ignore the infinitesimal danger from the serum.
SUGGESTIONS OF MEASURES CALCULATED TO ELIMINATE DIPHTHERIA AND ITS
DANGERS
1. Teaching children to have their throats examined when they are well,
and the examination of the throat whenever a child is not well.
2. Call a doctor immediately when a child has a sore throat, swelling
of the neck, or any croupy condition with hoarseness.