PATHOGENESIS 319 



merely prevent anaphylaaris by paralysing the reactions of the 

 nervous system." (Italics mine.) 



In other words, the organism is foiled by large doses of 

 poison in its wholesome attempt at eliminative reaction. We 

 may conclude that this amounts to a very serious handicapping 

 of the organism's vital symbiotic powers generally. 



" Pseudo-anti-anaphylactics " means, in other words, that 

 the cure is worse than the disease. 



The Lancet (13/9/13), in reviewing Prof. Eichet's book, 

 does " not feel sure that the usage (of the word anaphylaxis) 

 is correct, in that the subject of it develops not immunity, but 

 increased susceptibility to a poison." 



I believe I am on solid ground in classifying the 

 phenomena here concerned under the head of Pathogenesis, a 

 term that Prof. Richet himself employs, on p. 183 of his book 

 when referring to some important morbid symptoms, which, as 

 he says, " have not hitherto received rational explanation." 



First among these unexplained morbid phenomena is the 

 "extraordinary" sensitiveness of some individuals to certain 

 foods. "The eating of certain foods: pig meat, hare, straw- 

 berries, asparagus, mussels and shell fish, leads in certain 

 people to obvious symptoms." 



We are thus arriving at the true fons et origo of most 

 morbidity, i.e., the unfitness of certain substances for assimi- 

 lative purposes as due to a biological antagonism arising from 

 certain modes of feeding, and this for the reason that these 

 modes interfere with that system of elaborate service of one 

 organism to another, on which all evolution is primarily based. 

 As I have also expressed it in my paper on Biological Economy 

 before the British Association (1912) : " The in-feeding habit 

 by causing metabolic abnormality is detrimental to mutual 

 aid." 



Food that is thus biologically inadequate must eventually 

 become physiologically inadequate, i.e., poisonous, however 

 " nitrogenous" and even plant-manufactured it may otherwise 

 be. The similarity of many vegetable with animal metabolites 



