92 ADAPTATION AND DISEASE 



It is a general or indifferent proteoclastic ferment. The blood 

 plasma at this stage will act not only on the particular protein 

 inoculated, but also on other proteins, will break down indiffer- 

 ently bodies such as globulin, casein, gliadin, gelatin, and their 

 peptones with the production of slightly toxic bodies. 



It might be laid down that this indifferent ferment first pro- 

 duced is the cause of the anaphylactic phenomena. Against 

 this view is the fact that Abderhalden's ferment is recognizable 

 in twenty-four to forty-eight hours, whereas anaphylactic 

 phenomena are not obtainable until the sixth to the tenth day, 

 and again, the anaphylactic phenomena are specific : it is only 

 the protein first introduced that on subsequent injection sets 

 up disturbance. Abderhalden's proteolytic and peptolytic 

 enzymes are active in respect to any protein. We have evidence, 

 therefore, of the development of two stages : (1) elaboration and 

 discharge into the blood within forty-eight hours of indifferent 

 proteoclastic and peptolytic enzymes ; (2) the gradual produc- 

 tion within six or eight days of more high-developed specific 

 enzymes having the power of rapid dissociation of the particular 

 protein introduced, with liberation in the course of a few minutes 

 of sufficient toxic disintegration products to set up grave 

 symptoms. The rapidity with which the phenomena may show 

 themselves, and that upon the introduction of extraordinarily 

 small second doses of any particular protein, suggests that there 

 is a selective taking up of the protein by particular cells, in the 

 first place, with production and storage of the specific enzyme, 

 so that the moment the second dose is absorbed by these cells 

 there is an explosive disintegration and direct action of the 

 poisonous disintegration product. 



But now by cautious reinjection of the foreign protein we 

 can pass through the anaphylactic to the succeeding stage of 

 immunity. Having accomplished this the introduction of the 

 foreign protein no longer leads to acute poisoning. Any one 

 who has observed Pfeiffer's phenomenon — who has seen living 

 typhoid bacilli swell up and dissolve " like pieces of sugar ' 

 in the blood serum or peritoneal fluid of a highly immunized 

 guinea-pig — cannot but be impressed by the extraordinary and 

 specific digestive powers that have been acquired by the body 

 fluids through this process of immunization. We see here a 

 further evolution of the same process — a third stage — namely, 



