Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that used to be a leading cause of death in children before the 20th century. It is caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae and affects the nose and throat.

The bacterium produces a toxin that can damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system.

In the early days, diphtheria was almost always fatal, and it claimed the lives of many children. However, with the discovery of diphtheria antitoxin, the tide has turned in favor of the patients. Dr.

Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, played a significant role in the development of the antitoxin.

Dr. Bell and his family are struck with tragedy

The story of Dr. Bell’s involvement in the development of diphtheria antitoxin begins with a tragedy. In the late 1800s, Dr. Bell and his family were living in Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia, Canada.

One of his sons, Edward, was afflicted with diphtheria, and despite the best efforts of the family doctor, Edward succumbed to the disease.

The loss of his son spurred Dr. Bell into action. He became determined to find a cure for the disease. He set up a laboratory in his home, and with the help of his wife Mabel, began experimenting with the diphtheria bacterium.

Dr. Bell’s breakthrough

Dr. Bell’s breakthrough in the development of diphtheria antitoxin came when he realized that the toxin produced by the bacterium could be neutralized by injecting the blood of an animal that had been previously immunized with the toxin.

This is the process by which antitoxin is made: an animal is injected with the toxin, and its body produces antibodies to neutralize it. The animal’s blood is then harvested, and the antibodies extracted to make the antitoxin.

Dr. Bell’s contribution was to develop a method for mass-producing diphtheria antitoxin by injecting horses with the toxin.

The horses would produce large quantities of antibodies, which could then be extracted and used to treat diphtheria patients.

Production and distribution of antitoxin

The production of diphtheria antitoxin was initially carried out by Dr. Emil von Behring in Germany.

However, with the outbreak of World War I, the supply of antitoxin from Germany was cut off, and the US was left with a shortage of the life-saving treatment.

Fortunately, Dr. Bell had been working on a method for mass-producing antitoxin in the US. With the backing of the Board of Health of New York City, he set up a laboratory at the Bellevue Hospital in New York and began producing antitoxin.

The first batch was distributed in 1894, and within a year, the laboratory was producing thousands of doses of antitoxin a month.

Diphtheria and antitoxin today

Thanks to the development of diphtheria antitoxin, the mortality rate from diphtheria has fallen dramatically.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the last recorded case of diphtheria in the US was in 2003, and globally, there were 4,400 reported cases in 2018.

Diphtheria antitoxin is still used today to treat the disease, along with antibiotics to kill the bacterium. The CDC recommends that all children receive the diphtheria vaccine as part of their routine vaccination schedule.

Conclusion

Dr. Alexander Graham Bell’s contribution to the development of diphtheria antitoxin was a crucial turning point in the fight against the disease.

His work laid the foundation for the mass production of antitoxin, which has saved countless lives over the years. Today, diphtheria is no longer the deadly scourge it once was, and it is thanks to the pioneering work of Dr. Bell and his colleagues.

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