THE SCIENCE AND ART OF PROTEAL THERAPY 203 



being adequate to deal with the end-products of protein hydroly- 

 sis thus liberated, the excess accumulation of white corpuscles 

 would be immediately done away with, and the mother cells of 

 the leucocytes, being no longer stimulated to excessive activity, 

 might resume their normal rate of functioning. Indeed, it is 

 consistent with what has been suggested, to assume that in such 

 a case as the above, where leukaemia had not been far developed, 

 the leucocytic mother cells had not acted with extreme prolific- 

 ness, and that the large leucocytic population was due, in large 

 measure, to accumulation rather than to over production. 



On these assumptions, the only mystery connected with the 

 matter would be the fact of the extraordinary regeneration of 

 the red cells themselves under influence of the Proteal remedy. 

 This is to be explained, according to the Proteomorphic hypothe- 

 sis, as taking place in connection with the following sequence of 

 events : ( 1 ) the vegetable protein introduced hypodermically 

 is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, where (2) it encounters 

 a multitude of white corpuscles that quickly ingest it and effect 

 its partial proteolysis. Disruption of the white corpuscles taking 

 place through osmotic pressure, the polypeptids to which the 

 vegetable proteins have been reduced (circulating now freely in 

 the blood) come in contact with the mother cells in the 

 marrow with the effect of an altogether new stimulus. These 

 cells, by hypothesis, have become exhausted to the stimulus of 

 the protein products that come to them through the intestines, 

 and are performing their functions very inadequately. Now, 

 however, they respond to the new impulse with alacrity, and 

 put forth a new generation of red corpuscles totally different 

 in quality from those that have been their recent progeny. These 

 new cells are able to deal with the end-products of protein cata- 

 bolism already in the blood, and with any new increment that 

 may come; and there is possibility of a re-establishment of 

 normal conditions of metabolism. 



If, now, the patient is placed under proper dietetic restriction, 

 so that the faulty intake of protein products is in a measure 

 corrected; and if the Proteal injections are continued day by day, 

 so that the blood-forming mechanism receives a continuous stimu- 

 lus, conditions are favorable for a permanent regeneration of the 

 blood, and for the clinical cure of the patient. 



Such, as I see it, is a plausible explanation of the manner of 

 action of proteantigens in effecting the transformations of the 

 blood that have been so frequently observed, of which the case 

 above recorded furnishes an extreme instance. 



If this explanation be accepted, it will be clear that the same 

 line of reasoning applies to any and every type of protein intoxi- 

 cation. Intestinal toxaemia and cancer are obviously very differ- 



