NATURAL RESISTANCE 183 



are likewise induced, but as a rule the onset of such 

 unpleasant symptoms is found to be more rapid and 

 their duration more prolonged than in the case of the 

 pregnant females. (Turck, 1921b.) This observation 

 appears to substantiate the hypothesis that the females, 

 as a result of their pregnancy, develop a certain re- 

 sistance towards cytost. 



It may be remembered that in our experiments con- 

 cerning the action of cytost on the abdominal viscera 

 it was shown that once autolysis is started the process 

 appears to pass from cell to cell, gradually involving 

 greater areas of tissue. With this in mind, it seems evi- 

 dent that the autolysis of the uterine tissues due to the 

 activities of the embryo would spread not only to 

 other tissues but to the embryo itself, unless checked 

 in some way. It follows from the foregoing discus- 

 sion that such a check is afforded by the anticytost 

 developed by the mother. In those all too numerous 

 instances where toxic symptoms are maintained 

 throughout pregnancy, especially in eclampsia, it ap- 

 pears that for some reason or other the mother is 

 incapable of elaborating sufficient anticytost to com- 

 bat the activities of cytost in her body. This unfor- 

 tunate circumstance may lead to two difficulties, one 

 affecting the mother and the other the offspring. The 

 first leads to various pathologies such as kidney in- 

 volvement, and the second to ill health and perhaps 

 faulty development of the young. Indeed, with regard 

 to the latter, Holland (1920) has concluded— "that 

 the toxemia of pregnancy is the principal cause of 

 antefetal death." 



This conclusion, which is the result of empirical 

 observation, cannot be questioned ; hence it is of inter- 



