The purpose of this report is to record observations showing that a nontoxic antigen can be prepared from the toxin of Clostridium septicum , and to show that immunization of humans against the toxins of Cl. welchii, Cl. septicum and Cl. oedematiens can be carried out simultaneously through the use of a polyvalent toxoid. Three lots of toxoid were studied. Information concerning their preparation follows:Toxoid A was a monovalent alum toxoid prepared from Cl. septicum toxin produced in a peptone-free medium (1). Cultures of 6 liters each of strain 44 were grown at 35 to 36 C for 18 to 24 hours, followed by refrigeration overnight at 0 to 4 C. Sharples centrifugation of the cultures invariably caused large losses of toxin so that it was necessary to use the bucket type centrifuge in order to remove the bulk of the bacterial growth.
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