IMPORTANCE OP AUTOLYSIS 83 



tinal wall of fishes in the course of resorption ; ** which calls 

 to mind the oft-repeated statement as to the excessive pres- 

 ence of ammonia in the portal blood as it leaves the in- 

 testinal wall. The author sometimes noted in the course 

 of the above mentioned autolytic experiments an amount of 

 ammonia obtained from asparagin by autolytic cleavage 

 with intestinal mucous membrane, so large that it surely 

 represented more than the loose amido-nitrogen present and 

 probably was in part derived from cleavage of the closely- 

 combined nitrogen of the aminoacid. The author acknowl- 

 edges, however, on further consideration that perhaps, in 

 spite of every ordinary precaution, microorganisms may 

 have played some part a thought which materially disturbs 

 his satisfaction in this as well as in other similar results. 

 Importance of Autolysis in Various Pathological 

 Processes. It must be accepted, therefore, that the impor- 

 tance of autolysis in physiological processes is by no means 

 satisfactorily established. With feelings of grateful satisfac- 

 tion akin to those of the traveler who after the discomfort of 

 a boggy moor finds firmer foothold again beneath his feet, 

 we approach the question of the significance of autolysis in 

 pathology. An important example of an autolytic process 

 taking place in the living body has come to be recognized 

 through Martin Jacoby's studies of the condition of the 

 liver in phosphorus poisoning, 25 and very probably, too, in 

 acute yellow atrophy of the liver which is very similar in 

 its manifestations to phosphorus poisoning. 26 In both 

 processes an impression is given that some toxic agent has 

 impaired the vitality of the hepatic cells, and that the auto- 



*O. Cohnheim and F. Makita (Heidelberg), Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 

 61, 189, 1909; O. Cohnheim, Sitzungsber. d. H'eidelberger Akad. d. Wiss., math.- 

 naturw. Klasse, 1911, 30 Abh. 



M M. Jacoby, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., SO, 174, 1900; O. Forges and 

 Przibram, Arch. f. exper. Pathol., 59, 20, 1908. 



M C. Neuberg and P. F. Richter, Deutsche med. Wochenschr., 1904, No. 14 ; 

 A. E. Taylor, Journ. Med. Research, 8, 424, 1902 ; Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 

 S4, 580, 1902; H. G. Wells, Journ. of Exper. Med. 9, 627, 1907. 



