64 THE ACTION OF THE LIVING CELL 



the kidneys of the latter were found to have suffered 

 degenerative changes similar to that produced in ani- 

 mals by the direct injection of chloroform. Only one 

 conclusion may be drawn from these results; that the 

 observed pathology was due not to the direct action 

 of the drug on the kidney but was the result of endo- 

 cellular substances released from those tissues directly 

 injured by the chloroform, — i.e., those tissues at the 

 site of injection. 



Further evidence substantiating these conclusions 

 is to be found in the following experimental results: 



An isotonic saline solution was injected into the 

 muscles of the thigh. After a brief period the fluid 

 was aspirated from the site of injection and injected 

 intravenously into another animal of the same species. 

 No evidence of discomfort of physiological change 

 was observed in the second animal. When however 

 either chloroform, ether or alcohol was substituted for 

 the saline solution quite different results were ob- 

 tained. The drugs were allowed to remain in situ 

 for one or two hours ; the fluid was then aspirated from 

 the resulting sterile abscess and injected intraven- 

 ously into homologous animals, whereupon the latter 

 quickly showed the symptoms of shock and subse- 

 quently died. 



The results of such experiments are summarized in 

 Table III, page 65. 



As shown in the table, the rapidity with which death 

 may follow the injection of tissue break-down prod- 

 ucts is very striking. At autopsy, all of the animals 

 were found to have suffered a marked congestion of 

 the splanchnic viscera, identical with that observed in 

 shock induced by other means. Kidney lesions were 



