Bottle of Behring's diphtheria remedy, Germany, 1914-1918
This is a bottle of diphtheria antitoxin developed by Emil Adolf Behring (1854-1917) in 1891. He refined this treatment again in 1913. This bottle of “Behring’s diphtheria remedy” was taken from a German battleship during the First World War, the first major conflict where more troops died from their wounds rather than disease. This was partly due to vaccination.
Object number:
A635604
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: vaccination
The introduction of vaccine into the body for the purpose of inducing immunity. Coined originally to apply to the injection of smallpox vaccine, the term has come to mean any immunising procedure in which vaccine is injected.
Glossary: bottle
Vessels having a neck and mouth considerably narrower than the body, used for packaging and containing liquid and dry preparations
Glossary: diphtheria
An acute highly contagious infection, generally affecting the throat but occasionally other mucous membranes and the skin. Diphtheria has been largely eradicated due to world-wide vaccination efforts.
Glossary: antitoxin
An antibody, a type of protein, which is produced to counter-act any bacterial toxins present in the body. It combines with toxins (antigens) in the blood and neutralises them.