We have examined the production of diphtheria antitoxin in guinea pigs, which were infected experimentally with the Gravis and Mitis type strains of Coryne-bacterium diphtheriae. The infection was attained by inoculation the conjunctiva palpebre according to Bessau-Bormann's method. The results obtained are sum-marized as follows:
1. No production of diphtheria antitoxin was noticed in the serum of the guinea pigs after their primary infection with the Gravis type strain.
2. When the guinea pigs were re-infected with the same Gravis type strains, all of the cases in which the interval between the primary inoculation and the secondary inoculation was 90 days, produced noticeable diphtheria antitoxin in the serum. The interval being 15 or 30 days the antitoxin production was noticed in most cases.
3. The diphtheria antitoxin was produced relatively rapidly after the secon-dary inoculation.
4. The diphtheria antitoxin production was neither related to the lokal symp-toms nor to the period during which the diphtheria bacilli was demonstrated posi-tively, but was only due to re-infection, to our belief.
5. The amount of this antitoxin attains its peak rapidly, and thereafter tends to maintain this level.
6. In experiments with the Mitis type strains no diphtheria antitoxin produc-tion was noticed even after the secondary inoculation.
7. In cross-experiments with the Gravis type strains, the strains used in the primary inoculation and the secondary inoculation being changed, the diphtheria antitoxin was produced rapidly in the serum either after the secondary inoculation or the third inoculation.
8. In experiments with several different strains of the Mitis type, no antitoxin production was noticed even after the secondary inoculation.
9. After the secondary inoculation with Mitis type strain, following the primary inoculation with the Gravis type strain, production of diphtheria antitoxin was noticed in some cases.
10. After the secondary inoculation with the Gravis type strains, following the primary inoculation with the Mitis type strains, no production of diphtheria antitoxin was noticeable.
It is considered, to our belief, that these results gives a definite answer to one of our unsolved problems that why the diphtheria antitoxin production are in-creased only in certain cases after the healing of diphtheria. Moreover, in natural healing of diphtheria, it is understood that the diphtheria antitoxin production in the serum is not closely related to the healing mechanism of diphtheria.
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