38 TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 



modification of the general ideas held in this 

 respect.* 



It appears necessary to bring here more clearly 

 in evidence the fact that the antitoxin inhibits the 

 noxious action of the toxin, even outside the living 

 organism, by uniting with it to form a compound 

 in identically the same manner as when a strong base 

 and a strong acid are brought together. As we have 

 seen, all the conditions of environment that favor 

 or retard the formation of salts, in a like sense 

 influence the neutralization of the toxin by its 

 antitoxin. 



Formation of Antitoxins. Ehrlich's theory of 

 side chains, to which reference has already been 

 made, furnishes us with an explanation of the 

 formation of the antitoxins in tumors. Let us 

 suppose that, in the organism, a cell had come 

 into contact only with certain toxic molecules in- 

 capable of compromising its life, and that the only 

 result was the immobilization of the receptors 

 which are united with the haptophore groups of 

 the opposing toxins. It is known that, by virtue 

 of a property inherent in all living organisms, 

 during the phenomena of reparation, there is 

 generally an overproduction of the neoformed 



* SVANTE ARRHENIUS: La Physico-chimie des Toxines et 

 des Antitoxines. Conferences de la Societe chimique de Paris, 

 May 20, 1904. See also MADSEN AND ARRHENIUS: Testkrift 

 red indivulsen of Stotens Serum Institut. Copenhagen, 1902. 



