The action of the electric current on toxin and antitoxin

In the early days of antitoxin it was thought that it might be possible to obtain antitoxin by passing an electric current through toxin. It was soon realized, however, that the fluid around the anode neutralized toxin by virtue of the acid formed about this pole, and not because true antitoxin had been formed. It was not until 1904 that any attempt was made to determine the nature of the electric charge carried by particles of toxin or antitoxin; this research, done in Von Behring's laboratory by Romer, gave only negative results. Again in 1905, Biltz, Much, and Siebert, working in the same laboratory were unable to decide this question.

The failure of these workers was due, we believe, to the disturbing influence of the products of electrolysis. To eliminate this factor we substituted for the U-shaped tube used in the above experiments three beakers connected by agar-filled tubes, semicircular in shape and about 20 cm. long and 1 cm. in diameter. The middle beaker, into which both agar tubes dipped, contained the toxin or antitoxin to be tested; the end beakers held the platinum electrodes surrounded by distilled water, which was changed every half hour during the passage of the current. At the end of four hours, the agar was removed from the tubes, chopped into fine pieces and allowed to stand for one hour in distilled water. The agar was then removed by filtering through gauze and the toxic or antitoxic value of the fluid determined by tests on guinea pigs.

The results of our experiments were decisive. Both toxin and antitoxin particles were found to travel toward the cathode and must therefore carry positive charges. This holds true when the fluid tested is made either acid or alkaline in reaction.