TOXINS AND INFECTIONS 269 



their controls. Although the resistance of rats to large doses 

 of typhoid vaccine was still somewhat below that of normals 

 six weeks after adrenalectomy, no difference in their agglutinin 

 response could be determined. The increased antibody for- 

 mation in recently adrenalectomized rats is a reflection of their 

 decreased resistance to the antigen. The increased antigenic 

 effect gradually disappears with resumption of normal cortical 

 activity brought about by a regeneration of bits of tissue and 

 accessory bodies left at operation. 



The above described effects are entirely the result of the re- 

 moval of the cortex for epinephrine has no effect upon the 

 opsonic properties of the blood or upon sheep-cell hemolysin or 

 typhoid agglutinin production in rabbits. On the other hand, 

 traumatization of the periadrenal tissues, as Perla and Gottes- 

 man 496 have shown, produces the same effect as adrenalectomy 

 on the formation of antibodies in rats. 



THE EFFECT OF THE ADKENAL CORTICAL HORMONE IN INFECTIONS 



One can attribute the marked sensitivity of the adrenals to 

 toxins and infections to the unique chemical composition of 

 these glands. Their high lipid content would obviously make 

 them susceptible to attack by lipid solvents such as chloroform, 

 ether, phenol, and the like. It is unnecessary to infer that the 

 adrenals suffer because of their assumed anti-toxic function. 

 On the other hand, one might be justified in assuming that the 

 observed anatomical changes disturb the normal functional 

 capacity of the glands and thereby play a part in producing 

 some of the clinical manifestations of the toxic or infectious 

 process. This has, however, not been proven and awaits fur- 

 ther investigation particularly the study of the therapeutic 

 effects of administering the cortical hormone in these condi- 

 tions. 78 Scott and his collaborators 563 found their preparation 

 of the cortical hormone to have no influence on the action of 

 diphtheria toxin in guinea pigs, trypanosome infection in rats, 

 and pneumonia in mice. Firor and the author in a few prelimi- 



