The Clinical Behavior, Incubation Period, and Pathology of Tetanus Induced in White Swiss Mice by Injection of Crystalline Tetanal Toxin

[摘要] Intramuscular administration of 0.000013 gamma of crystalline tetanal toxin nitrogen produced the classical signs of tetanus in white mice weighing between 15 and 20 grams. Incubation period was about 30 hours and death occurred in 96 hours.Intramuscular administration of 6.4 gamma of crystalline tetanal toxin nitrogen or 500,000 MLD led to appearance of symptoms within 30 minutes and death in 60 minutes. The chief clinical signs were fixation of the muscles of the thorax and abdomen, respiratory embarrassment, increased muscular tonus and asphyxia.These results indicate that, in white mice injected with crystalline tetanal toxin, the so-called incubation period is dependent upon the amount of toxin administered and can be varied at will.No pathological lesions were produced in white mice which received single doses of crystalline tetanal toxin ranging from 0.25 MLD to 500,000 MLD and which lived from one hour to 28 days after injection of the toxin. Similar results were obtained when repeated sublethal doses of toxin were given.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）