THE CELLULAR SUBSTANCE OF PNEUMOCOCCUS 213 



the bronchial spasm which this toxic substance produces. 

 That early dyspnea and increased respiration before con- 

 solidation is demonstrable is in keeping with this idea. 

 (4) Morphine, ether, urethane, atropine, and adrenalin, 

 protect normal guinea-pigs against the toxic material 

 obtained in vitro from pneumococci, and also sensitized 

 guinea-pigs on reinjection." 



Recently (December, 1912) we found a small bottle of 

 the powdered pneumococcus cellular substance prepared 

 by Munson nearly seven years before (March, 1906). It 

 is a fine, yellowish-white powder, looking very much like 

 wheat flour. It has stood during these years in a cupboard, 

 kept closed except when momentarily opened to put some- 

 thing in or take something out. Microscopic examination 

 showed the pneumococci as clearly and in as perfect form 

 as in a fresh preparation. It kills guinea-pigs on intra- 

 abdominal injection in the same doses (1 to 10,000 of body 

 weight), and just as promptly as it did more than six years 

 ago. Five hundred milligrams of this was weighed, sus- 

 pended in 500 c.c. of salt solution, 10 c.c. of chloroform 

 added, and the whole allowed to stand at 37. After twenty- 

 four hours, 10 c.c. of the opalescent supernatant fluid was 

 injected into the external jugular vein of a guinea-pig. 

 Within two hours the rectal temperature had fallen below 

 94, and the animal remained sick for some hours, but 

 gradually recovered. The same experiment repeated at 

 the end of forty-eight and seventy-two hours killed the 

 guinea-pigs within two hours. These animals died with 

 the symptoms of a subacute anaphylactic shock. We 

 conclude from this that the intracellular autolytic ferment 

 had remained intact during the years that had elapsed 

 since the preparation of the cellular protein. Six days 

 after the suspension had been prepared and placed in the 

 incubator a like injection killed the guinea-pig within three 

 minutes. This animal died with the symptoms of acute 

 anaphylactic shock, and autopsy showed the lungs distended 

 and minute petechial hemorrhages in the pericardium. 



