2?2 



has the task of assisting the other organs rather than of doing 

 all the work by itself, may be extended to other functions. 

 HlRSCHFELD 25) who has made a profound and detailed study 

 of the spleen calls it: >On the whole not indispensable.« 

 According to him after exstirpation other organs take over all 

 its duties, f.i. the cells of KUPFER. 



The higher organisms possess the faculty of producing antibodies 

 against proteins. I pointed out that it is very probable that 

 those proteins too after injection arrive into the endothelial 

 cells. In certain circumstances therefore it must be expected to 

 find changes in the endothelium after injections. Van CALCAR 6) 

 therefore attributes the increase of bodyweight so often attained 

 after injections of serum and which is caused by retention of 

 water, to endothelial actions. DOER 26) too mentions this view 

 and adds that symptoms like oedema, capillary and other 

 haemorrhages, and the local reaction on injection, favour this 

 supposition. Gay and SOUTHARD 27) even speak of fatty 

 degeneration occurring in the endothelial cells of the capillaries 

 in an anaphylactic shock. BüSSON and KIRSCHBAUM 28) were 

 of opinion that the anaphylactic antibodies were formed in the 

 vascular wall, but could not bring forward sufficient proof. An 

 involuntary illustration of this supposed connection between an 

 anaphylactic process and the endothelium of bloodvessels is to 

 be found in an important paper published by VON BEHRING 

 in 19 1 4 29). The nearly instantaneous death by an anaphylactic 

 shock which takes place in guinea-pigs after sensibilisation 

 made him think that an embolic process in the cerebrum was 

 the cause of the rapid death of the animals. He then succeeded 

 in finding masses of thrombocytes adhering to the walls of the 

 vessels of the brain and obstructing these. But — and here the 

 mistake comes in — instead of now drawing the conclusion that there 

 was a change in the vascular endothelium, he goes on and accuses 

 the thrombocytes. Of course there is no doubt that the throm- 

 bocytes are of fundamental importance with regard to thrombosis, 

 but the prima causa remains the change in the endothelium. VON 

 BEHRING himself cites the beautiful experiment of BlZOZZERO, 

 and supposes this proves his argument. BlZOZZERO saw under 

 his microscope thrombi arising in the smaller vessels of the 

 mesenterium. He accentuates the role of the thrombocytes but 



