General and Local Immunity to Cl. Botulinum Toxin

Abstract In spite of the fact that much work has been done on the subject of absorption of Cl. botulinum toxin from the gastro-intestinal tract and the relative susceptibility of various experimental animals to this toxin when administered per os, up to the present time very little work has been reported on the immunization of animals with Cl. botulinum toxin utilizing the gastro-intestinal tract as the route of administration. This is probably due to the very large amounts of the toxin necessary to produce any symptoms by this route together with the fact that although no symptoms of botulism may be evidenced a large percentage of the animals become extremely emaciated and subsequently die with cachetic symptoms. Van Ermengem (1) made the first observation upon the differences in susceptibility of laboratory animals to obtulinum toxin and the corresponding differences when the toxin was administered by different routes. In giving the toxin by mouth, he found that mice, guinea pigs, kittens, and monkeys are especially susceptible, but that rabbits and cats are less susceptible by this route and that they must be fed large doses of the toxin in order to show symptoms of intoxication.