218 PROTEIN POISONS 



physiological and pathological processes by this theory, 

 and to describe them in the nomenclature of this theory is 

 unscientific. To say that anaphylaxis is the result of 

 protein antiprotein reaction is to talk jargon. When 

 foreign proteins are taken into the alimentary canal they 

 must be digested before they are absorbed. This means 

 that their large molecules must be split into smaller ones, 

 and this must be continued until there are no more protein 

 molecules left. Every protein molecule contains a poisonous 

 group, and in normal, alimentary digestion this group is 

 rendered non-poisonous by further cleavage before absorp- 

 tion takes place. When foreign proteins find their way into 

 the blood and tissues they must be digested. This is accom- 

 plished, as it is in the alimentary canal, by proteolytic 

 ferments, but the danger from the poisonous group in the 

 protein molecule is evidently greater in parenteral than in 

 enteral digestion. Both enteral and parenteral digestion 

 are physiological processes. Every living cell has its own 

 proteolytic ferments, otherwise it could not live. When 

 stimulated it pours out this ferment, and it does so only 

 when stimulated. The function of a cell ferment depends 

 upon the kind of cell elaborating it, and to a certain extent 

 upon the stimulating substance. The proteins are the 

 normal stimulants to cell secretion. When a foreign pro- 

 tein is introduced into the blood or tissue it stimulates 

 certain body cells to elaborate that specific ferment which 

 will digest that specific protein. When such a protein first 

 comes in contact with the body cells the latter are unpre- 

 pared to digest the former, but this function is gradually 

 acquired. The protein contained in the first injection is 

 slowly digested, and no ill effects are observable. When 

 subsequent injections of the same protein are made, the 

 cells, prepared by the first injection, pour out the specific 

 ferment more promptly and the effects are determined by 

 the rapidity with which the digestion takes place. The 

 poisonous group in the protein molecule may be set free 

 so rapidly and in amount sufficient to kill the animal. This 

 in brief is an explanation of the phenomena of anaphylaxis. 



