150 THE PROTEOMORPHIC THEORY AND THE NEW MEDICINE 



monocytes to deal with bacteria find further explanation in the 

 assumption that the bacterial proteins are of a low order of 

 molecule structure. 



Incidentally, this line of reasoning makes it clear that we 

 are not to expect the same increase in large monocytes from the 

 use of bacterial proteins as proteantigens that may be expected 

 from the use of vegetable or animal proteins. The observed 

 polynucleosis from the injection of bacterial products is quite 

 what might be expected. 



It may be added that if the above hypothesis is valid as to the 

 assumption that the large monocyte is chiefly concerned with 

 the full-sized protein molecule, we should not expect so pro- 

 nounced a large monocytosis from the injection of, for example, 

 peptones as from the use of the full-sized protein molecUie or 

 molecules of the proteose order. Practical observation of the 

 relative response to proteins, proteoses, and peptones, used as 

 antigens, when carried out on an adequate scale, will go far 

 toward testing the validity of the above assumption as to the 

 specific functions of different types of leucocytes. Experiments 

 directed toward this end are already under way. Comparative 

 studies are being made, for example, of blood charts in cases 

 treated with the unbroken protein molecule as compared with 

 cases treated with the newer Proteals, containing proteoses and 

 peptones. 



A tentative analysis of these tables tends to give a certain 

 amount of support to the above thesis, inasmuch as the re- 

 sponse to the partially hydrolyzed proteins appears to include 

 the polynuclears more markedly and the eosinophiles and bas- 

 ophiles less markedly than the response to the unbroken mole- 

 cule. The evidence, however, is not yet sufficiently extensive 

 to be demonstrative, as only a small part of the material in hand 

 has been analyzed. Pending the results of such analysis, it will 

 be well to bear in mind the fact that the generalization as to the 

 protein blood response enunciated in the first edition of the can- 

 cer Monograph and throughout the earlier chapters of this book 

 refer to the unbroken protein molecule. 



Meantime the series of tables and charts already in hand, 

 showing the corpuscular response to the administration of pro- 

 teantigens for the most part representing the full-sized molecule, 

 appear to establish the broader outlines of the Proteomorphic 

 theory as to the manner of handling of foreign proteins in the 

 parenteral system beyond cavil. No one who studies these tables 

 even casually is likely to question, I take it, that the prote- 

 antigen response is directly and strikingly concerned with the 

 blood-forming organs, and that increase of large mononuclear 



