Designed to prevent, treat, or provide protection against diphtheria, a serious infectious disease.
From anti- (against) + diphtheria. Diphtheria comes from Greek diphthera 'leather,' describing the disease's leathery membrane. This medical term became common in the late 19th century as vaccines were developed.
The diphtheria antitoxin, developed in the 1890s, was one of medicine's first miracle drugs and saved countless children—it was so important that doctors traveled by dogsled through Alaska to deliver it!
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