FERMENTATION 225 



group. The haptopbore atom group (aTrro), I cling to) 

 unites with the antitoxine, if there be any present, or 

 with any other atom group for which it. has chemical 

 affinity. If this latter atom group be in the side-chain 

 of a living cell, its union with the haptophore atoms 

 of the toxine will necessarily bring the poison atoms of 

 the toxine into intimate chemical relationship with the 

 central atoms of the cell. Poisoning will then take 

 place. If the cells of vital organs have no atom groups 

 with chemical affinity for the haptophore group of a 

 toxine, no union between cell-atom group and hapto- 

 phore takes place, the toxophore is not brought into 

 intimate contact with the cell, and poisoning does 

 not occur. The animal is naturally immune to this 

 particular toxine. Thus a toxine in sausages is exces- 

 sively poisonous to man, the monkey, and the rabbit, 

 while even large amounts are not injurious to the 

 dog. 



The haptophore group of the toxine acts immediately 

 after injection into the organism, while in most or all 

 toxines the toxophore group becomes active only after 

 a longer or shorter incubation period. During this 

 period the animal may often be saved by placing it in 

 conditions in which the toxophores cannot act. Thus 

 frogs kept at less than 20 C. are not poisoned by large 

 doses of tetanus toxine, though much smaller doses are 

 fatal at a higher temperature (Morgenroth). 



The toxophile atom group of the cell was not pre- 

 destined to unite with a remotely possible toxine, 

 it has a normal function, probably that of attaching 

 food to the cell. When it enters into its firm and 



15 



