Historical killed bacterial preparations, antitoxins, and antisera from the pre-antibiotic era
This page catalogs 16 historical bacterins, antitoxins, and antisera produced primarily between the 1890s and 1940s by early pharmaceutical manufacturers including H.K. Mulford Co., Parke-Davis, and Burroughs Wellcome. These products represent the pre-antibiotic era of infectious disease treatment, when killed bacterial preparations (bacterins) and passive serum therapy were primary therapeutic tools. Most were rendered obsolete by the introduction of sulfonamides and penicillin.
Last updated: April 2026.
| Product Name | Manufacturer | Product Type | Target Condition | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acne Bacterin | H.K. Mulford Co. | Bacterin | Acne vulgaris | 1900s-1930s | Bacterial lysate for acne treatment |
| Gonococcal Bacterin | H.K. Mulford Co. | Bacterin | Gonorrhea | 1900s-1930s | Killed gonococcal preparation |
| Pneumococcal Bacterin | H.K. Mulford Co. | Bacterin | Pneumococcal infections | 1900s-1930s | Pre-antibiotic pneumonia treatment |
| Staphylococcal Bacterin | Parke-Davis & Co. | Bacterin | Staphylococcal infections | 1900s-1930s | Killed staph preparation |
| Streptococcal Bacterin | Parke-Davis & Co. | Bacterin | Streptococcal infections | 1900s-1930s | Killed strep preparation |
| Typhoid Bacterin (TAB) | Multiple (Mulford, Parke-Davis, military) | Bacterin | Typhoid fever | 1896-1940s | Standard military prophylactic; Wright's formulation |
| Scarlet Fever Streptococcus Antitoxin | Burroughs Wellcome | Antitoxin | Scarlet fever | 1900s-1920s | Dick test antitoxin; preceded antibiotics |
| Dick Toxin-Antitoxin | Various | Toxin-antitoxin | Scarlet fever (active immunization) | 1920s | George and Gladys Dick; active scarlet fever immunization |
| Pertussis Bacterin | Multiple | Bacterin | Whooping cough | 1914-1940s | Whole-cell killed pertussis; preceded DPT |
| Mixed Bacterin (stock) | H.K. Mulford / Parke-Davis | Polyvalent bacterin | Multiple infections | 1900s-1930s | Combined killed bacterial preparations |
| Coley's Toxins | William Coley / Parke-Davis | Bacterial toxin | Cancer (therapeutic) | 1891-1960s | Mixed bacterial toxins for sarcoma; early immunotherapy |
| Diphtheria Toxin-Antitoxin (TAT) | Multiple | Toxin-antitoxin | Diphtheria (active immunization) | 1913-1940s | Park-Zingher method; preceded toxoid |
| Tetanus Antitoxin (equine) | Burroughs Wellcome / others | Antitoxin | Tetanus | 1890s-present | Horse-derived passive protection; still used in emergencies |
| Meningococcal Antiserum | Various | Antiserum | Meningococcal meningitis | 1906-1940s | Flexner's serum therapy; reduced mortality 75 to 25 percent |
| Pneumococcal Antiserum (type-specific) | Swiss Serum Institute / others | Antiserum | Pneumococcal pneumonia | 1910s-1940s | Type-specific sera; replaced by sulfonamides and penicillin |
| Anti-Plague Serum | Various (Haffkine Institute) | Antiserum | Plague | 1897-1930s | Passive protection adjunct to plague bacterin |
Historical data sourced from early pharmaceutical manufacturer catalogs (H.K. Mulford Co., Parke-Davis, Burroughs Wellcome) and published medical literature. Catalog scope informed by Khan, Shaz, The Ultimate Vaccine Timeline.