FOREWORD 13 



both facts and theories until he has attentively considered the 

 evidence. It can scarcely be doubted, I think, that the principles 

 of action of the white and red corpuscles and of bodily response 

 to proteantigens are matters of fundamental importance, and I 

 think also that the evidence in favor of the validity of these prin- 

 ciples is of so cogent a character that it cannot be dismissed 

 without a full and candid hearing. 



When I first put forward the Proteomorphic Theory, I sug- 

 gested that it opened up entirely new fields of cyto-therapy ; and 

 in the first exposition of the protein-antigen hypothesis, I sug- 

 gested that the new method must stand on a par with serum 

 therapy and vaccine therapy, if indeed it did not ultimately largely 

 supplant these methods. Since these estimates were made, in 

 October, 1914, and October, 1915, respectively, a great mass of 

 new evidence has been collected, all seemingly in the same scale 

 of the balance. 



Confidence in the validity of the predictions just noted has 

 grown with the accumulation of new evidence. 



Possibly it may not be an exaggeration should the above facts 

 and theories be demonstrated to have validity to speak of the 

 protein response as constituting the most comprehensive thera- 

 peutic action known to modern medicine. 



THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE NEW SCIENCE 



In the Monograph of December 1, 1916, I cited the need of a 

 new terminology for convenience in referring to the new thera- 

 peutics. I suggested the comprehensive term Proteantigen as a 

 family name for all types of proteins used as antigens in thera- 

 peutics. As an alternate name, I suggested the word Macrocy- 

 tosin (perhaps Monocytosin would be better), made appropriate 

 by the observed increase of large monocytes that constitutes an 

 important feature of the protein response. 



I further introduced the word Proteal as a generic term for 

 vegetable Proteantigens ; on a par with the familiar words Serum 

 (proteantigens derived from the blood of animals) and Vaccine 

 (proteantigens of bacterial origin). A little later (April, 1917) 

 in medical addresses I suggested the word Proteil as an addi- 

 tional member of the group, applied to proteantigens of animal 

 origin other than serums for example, protein extracts of animal 

 organs, like the "autolysates" of Klinger and the "X-Substance" 

 of Gwyer ; preparations of milk protein, egg protein, and the like. 



It was in the Monograph of December 1, 1916, also, that I 

 first publicly enunciated the principle (backed at that time by a 

 half-year of experimental observation) 'that it is necessary to 

 change the type of proteantigen from time to time, in order to 



