SHOCK 21 



while the injured animal was frequently saved by 

 amputation of its injured limb above the site of injury. 



Such experiments as these show unquestionably that 

 so-called traumatic shock results from the absorp- 

 tion of a toxic substance released by the damaged tis- 

 sues. If it were otherwise, then we should not expect 

 that the mere presence of the ligature above the site 

 of the injury would prevent the onset of shock. 

 Further, as is well known, tissues may be transplanted 

 from one animal to another of the same species with- 

 out the onset of shock. Hence, in the transplantation 

 experiments, such as those cited above, which result 

 in shock, another factor must be present: i.e., a toxic 

 moiety derived from the injured tissues which were 

 transplanted to the uninjured animal. The experi- 

 ments above referred to are of relatively recent date, 

 but the essentially toxic nature of traumatic shock has 

 long been stressed by the author. Indeed, as long ago 

 as 1895 the writer pointed out that in cases of carci- 

 noma of the stomach the carcinoma early produced 

 a toxic product capable of altering the gastric, secre- 

 tory and motor activities of the organ, and when 

 brought to operation such cases frequently pass into 

 severe shock. A year later (Turck, 1896), the conclu- 

 sion was reached that such unfortunate individuals 

 were in such a state of autointoxication that the addi- 

 tional tissue products released by the operative trauma 

 sufficed to precipitate shock. 



In a series of papers published since these initial 

 observations were made, the author has contributed 

 a considerable amount of experimental evidence 

 which shows definitely that the shock following injury 

 is due to the release of an endocellular component 



