Antitoxins Humoral theory Paraclete Commentary

Emil von Behring, Shibasaburō Kitasato immunology

Antitoxins

• Diphtheria bacilli
• and tetanus bacilli
• produce toxins
• To protect themselves
• infected animals
• produce antitoxins
• Emil von Behring
• and Shibasaburō Kitasato
• identified these antitoxins
• and showed that trans-
• ferring them to another animal
• conferred immunity.

Humoral theory

• That transferring serum
• from the blood of a horse infected with diphtheria
• conferred immunity to diphtheria in human beings
• supported the theory that fighting disease
• is the work of liquids in the blood
• not of its cells
• and had little to do with the four humors of ancient medicine
• or maintaining a healthy balance of humors
• by bleeding, cupping, emetics, or purges.

Paraclete

• Blood, black bile, phlegm, and yellow bile,
• according to the ancients,
• mediate between the pure soul
• and the impure body,
• which, if it were balanced,
• would be sure,
• but I would rather a less messy cure,
• a fresh breeze, a light rain,
• the smell of a violet,
• or a kiss on the cheek.