TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS. 39 



parts. In the case we here speak of, as the receptors 

 fill an important function in the nutrition of the 

 opposing cellular elements, once they become united 

 with the toxic haptophores, they become incapable 

 of filling their normal function of nutrition. Under 

 these conditions the cells develop so large a quantity 

 of receptors that, filling the cells, and not finding 

 any more room, they spread into the blood and 

 other liquids of the organism. 



Under these conditions, every new injection of toxin 

 into the organism is absorbed into the blood where 

 it meets with the free receptors which possess great 

 avidity for the haptophore group of its molecule, 

 and the two groups immediately unite, before the 

 haptophore group of the toxin has been able to 

 attack and intoxicate a cellular element. 



We thus see that the receptors which, when in a 

 free state in tumors, play the r61e of antitoxics or 

 antitoxins, become, within the cellular elements 

 themselves, the vehicle of intoxications. Figura- 

 tively speaking, so long as these fixators are 

 attached to the molecule of the living protoplasm 

 they attract the toxin. 



According to this ingenious conception, the 

 formation of antitoxins is hence absolutely in- 

 dependent of the action of the toxophore elements 

 on the cellular elements, and it suffices that these 

 possess receptors or side chains capable of uniting with 

 the haptophore groups of the toxin. This explains 



