The truth about vivisection.

  • Research Defence Society (Great Britain)
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The truth about vivisection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    1/46
    3^. ^ • London W. 70 Harley Street, February, 1910 THE TRUTH ABOUT VIVISECTION. Diphtheria is an infectious disease due to certain germs. These germs produce the dreaded membrane which you some- times see in the throat of a child with diphtheria. They also produce a poison called toxin, which is the cause of the high fever, vomiting, swollen glands, and drowsiness of a bad case of the disease. This poison may also act on certain nerves, and thus cause paralysis of certain muscles. You know how, in some children, after they have recovered from the fever, they are unable for a time to swallow properly, or to see straight, because the muscles of the throat or of the eyes are injured by this poison. Sometimes the poison acts on the heart, and a patient may die from this cause. The discovery of these germs was made about 1875. But it was a long time before any improvement was made in the treatment of the disease. Then, about 1890, it was found possible to protect rabbits against the disease, so that it could not be given to them. A very small dose of the poison was given to the rabbits, not enough to kill them, and then, next day, rather a larger dose, and then a still larger dose, till the rabbits were able to take, without inconvenience, a dose which would kill an ordinary rabbit. When the rabbits had been thus protected, it was impossible to give them diphtheria, even if the germs of the disease were rubbed on the back of their throats. They could not catch the disease. Then it was found that horses, like rabbits, could be protected against the disease. And it was found that there was some- thing, in the blood of these protected horses, which acted as an antidote against the disease. The name of “ anti-toxin ” is given to this condition of the blood, because it acts against the toxin. Diphtheria antitoxin is just a little of the fluid part of the blood, drawn from protected horses kept for this purpose. These horses are in perfect health, they have no sort or kind of disease, they are sleek and well fed, and comfortable, and are kept in large, well-built stables, and are carefully groomed and exercised. They are a pleasant contrast to some of the I. DIPHTHERIA AND ANTITOXIN.