106 THE PROTEOMORPHIC THEORY AND THE NEW MEDICINE 



well recognized as attendant on the present method of serum 

 therapy and which sometimes has such alarming results." 



I wrote these words in September, 1914. Following them I 

 presented a recapitulatory summary of the essentials of the 

 Proteomorphic theory, concluding with these words: 



"The general theory of the action of the cytogenic system 

 above outlined finds support in clinical observations of disease 

 and in empirical therapy; and the theory itself gives important 

 clues to the scientific application of old and new therapeutic 

 measures, including an extension of serum-therapy and vaccine- 

 therapy and the development of a new cyto-therapy. 



"Such, then, are some of the salient aspects of the Proteo- 

 morphic theory of immunization ; a theory which postulates the 

 cytogenic system as the chief immunizing mechanism, and its 

 daughter cells, the leucocytes and red corpuscles, as the active 

 direct agents in carrying out the beneficent functions of that 

 mechanism. 



"It is not claimed that a complete demonstration of the truth 

 of this theory in all its aspects has been presented, nor that 

 such demonstration is possible with data at present available. 

 Nor can it be supposed that all parts of so novel a theory have 

 been correctly conceived. Yet, even as presented, it would appear 

 that the theory throws light into a good many dark places of 

 the realms of physiology and pathology. 



"In any event, I feel that the fundamental concept of the 

 theory has been made sufficiently plausible to justify, and in- 

 deed to demand, a far larger share of attention for the leucocyte 

 and the red corpuscle on the part of bacteriologist, pathologist, 

 and practicing physician than has hitherto been accorded these 

 small but highly important bodies." 



The story of the development of the "new cyto-therapy" thus 

 adumbrated, under guidance of the Proteomorphic theory, has 

 been told in part on earlier pages of this volume, and will be 

 further elaborated in succeeding chapters. 



