PROTEIN SENSITIZATION OR ANAPHYLAXIS 221 



pended in water. Furthermore, we have found that bacterial 

 proteins suspended in normal salt solution and heated to 

 154 in the autoclave under 2 kilos of pressure are more 

 efficient sensitizers than the unheated suspensions. All 

 these facts support the theory that body cells are best 

 sensitized when the protein comes in intimate contact with 

 them. Possibly cell permeation is necessary for the most 

 complete sensitization. 



Besredka finds that when the protein of the second 

 injection is heated it is less likely to kill, and he concludes 

 that proteins contain a thermostabile, sensitizing, and a 

 thermolabile toxic component. We fail to see how such a 

 conclusion follows his findings. If the physical condition 

 of a protein affects its sensitizing properties, why should 

 it not affect its toxic action on reinjection? The poison is 

 set free by the digestive action of the specific ferment 

 elaborated as a result of the first injection. Why should 

 not the physical state of the protein affect the rapidity 

 and thoroughness with which it is digested, and consequently 

 the amount of the protein poison set free or activated at 

 one time? Doerr and Russ have apparently answered this 

 question in a satisfactory manner. By carefully conducted 

 experiments they show that heat affects the sensitizing 

 and toxic properties of proteins in the same ratio. 



It should be understood that temperatures high enough 

 to disrupt and destroy proteins are destructive to their 

 sensitizing properties. According to Rosenau and Anderson 

 a temperature of 200 removes every trace of the sensitizing 

 property of proteins. 



The influence of the digestive ferments of the alimentary 

 canal on the sensitizing properties of proteins is an interesting 

 and important subject, since it bears upon the possibility 

 of sensitization by administration through the digestive 

 tract. This point has been especially studied by Wells 1 

 and Pick and Yamanouchi. 2 The former submitted egg 



1 Loc. cit. 



2 Zeitsch. f. Immunitatsforschung, i, 676; Wien. klin. Woch., 1908, 1513. 



