Peripheral Action of Botulinum Toxin

AN investigation has been made of the pharmacological properties of Cl. botulinum (type A) toxin. Rabbits injected intravenously with the toxin developed severe œdema with focal hæmorrhages in the lungs. These lung lesions were also found when 'local' botulism was produced in a number of tissues, but with larger doses of toxin. It was therefore possible to achieve a local concentration of toxin sufficiently high to paralyse certain nerve-endings without killing the animals prematurely by the injury to the lungs.