1901 diphtheria antitoxin contamination incident

On October 2, 1901, a former milk wagon horse named Jim showed signs that he had contracted tetanus and was euthanized.

Jim produced over 30 US quarts (7.5 US gallons; 28.5 litres) of diphtheria antitoxin in his career.

[1] These failures in oversight led to the distribution of antitoxin that caused the death of 12 more children, which were highly publicized by newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer as part of his general opposition to the practice of vaccination.

[2] This incident, and a similar one involving contaminated smallpox vaccine in Camden, New Jersey, led to the passage of the Biologics Control Act of 1902, which established the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Jim's misfortune, and the ensuing tragedy and reaction, thus established a precedent for the regulation of biologics, leading to the 1906 formation of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).