Path. Chem. [f. TOX(IN + -on, -ONE.] (See quotation.)
1900. Lancet, 18 Aug., 528/1. Löffler’s diphtheria bacillus produced substances of two kinds—toxins and toxons…. The action of the toxons was different from, and weaker than, that of the toxins.
1904. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 10 Sept., 567. The diphtheria poison is not a single substance, but consists of two chief components, toxin and toxon.
Hence Toxonoid, a modification of a toxon, in which the toxic properties are lost. (Cf. TOXOID.)
1904. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 10 Sept., 573. Ehrlich explained the peculiarity that the ‘toxon’ has acute killing properties, by the assumption of two different kinds of toxon, thus introducing the conception of a new body—the toxonoid.
