TOXIN AND ANTITOXIN 525 



of morphine, is far less toxic for rabbits than is morphine; for asses 

 on the other hand it is far more toxic than the latter substance. In 

 the case of toxins v. Behring long ago showed that for different 

 species of animals certain toxins are very differently affected by 

 trichloriodine. As I suggested in my address at the International 

 Medical Congress in Paris we are evidently dealing here with incom- 

 plete toxoids, i.e., with toxoids whose toxophore complex is not 

 yet completely destroyed. Portions of this complex still left to 

 the poison possess a high toxicity for one species of animal and little 

 or no toxicity for another. The toxophore groups of the tetanus 

 poisons mentioned above (Tizzoni and v. Behring) afford a sufficient 

 analogy. 



A consideration of these facts will show that Gruber's statement, 

 that the facts observed by Madsen and Dreyer reduce my theory 

 to an absurdity, is absolutely incorrect. On the contrary, I may 

 say that the facts brought out by these authors are most readily 

 explained on the basis of my theory. 



I shall now take up Gruber's recent experiments. These were 

 first published in the Wiener klin. Wochenschrift l in a form strongly 

 suggestive of the comic supplement of a newspaper. 



The discussion takes the form of a letter purporting to be written 

 by a certain " Phantasus," and is really very cleverly conceived. 

 Only I would protest against publications of this sort appearing in 

 the columns of a scientific journal. 



Two series of experiments come into question. The first series 

 is so curious that 1 have not felt any desire to repeat the experi- 

 ments. These deal (a) with the property of sulphuric acid to act 

 as a poison on cane sugar, and (6) with the antitoxic action which 

 water exerts on this property. Any one with even the faintest knowl- 

 edge of chemical processes knows that the sulphuric acid as such 

 is not deprived of this poisonous action by water; this is effected 

 only by an alkali which, by forming a salt, neutralizes the acid. I 

 am able to furnish an additional case which show's the " detoxitizing " 

 effect of water. A highly concentrated sulphuric acid, containing 

 considerable anhydride, acts destructively on iron. If E^O is added 

 until the solution contains the monohydrate it will be found that 

 the addition of the water has reduced this capacity to attack iron 



1 Wiener klin. Wochenschr., No. 27, 1903. 



