AUTOLYSIS AND THE REGRESSIVE CHANGES 85 



upon the lipoid-solvent ability of such substances which 

 causes extensive changes in the intrinsic permeability of the 

 cellular protoplasm. Another observation which should be 

 noted in the same connection is that of L. Hess and P. Saxl 32 

 that tissue autolysis is apparently increased by the addition 

 of diphtheria toxin, tetanus toxin and also of tuberculin 

 (after a period of inhibition) ; from which these authors are 

 disposed to suggest that toxines exert an influence toward 

 protein cleavage. Further prosecution of similar studies is 

 very desirable in order to determine to what extent the re- 

 sults are due directly to the toxines and not to other 

 coincident circumstances. 



Autolysis and the Regressive Changes in the Living 

 Body. The above is, however, by no means the only bearing 

 of autolysis upon pathological processes. Pts importance in 

 the liquefaction and resorption of pneumonic exudates was 

 recognized by Friedrich v. Miiller and by 0. Simon 33 ; and 

 there can be but little error in assuming that autolysis plays 

 an important part generally wherever tissue structures, 

 cellularized exudates, tumors, fibrinous clots, tissue grafts, 

 etc., are resorbed in the living body. The author has had 

 occasion (Vol. I of this series, p. 370, Chemistry of the 

 Tissues) to point out that it is reasonable to believe that 

 autodigestion likewise takes part in such physiological 

 regressive processes as the involution of the uterus after 

 delivery. The whole subject has such extensive practical 

 bearing that it is really astonishing how little is actually 

 known with reference to it. 



If autolytic processes occur thus widely in the living 

 body it may naturally be expected that the system may be 

 flooded with the products of autolytic digestion. From this 



82 L. Hess and P. S'axl (v. Noorden's Clinic, Vienna), Wiener klin. 

 Wochenschr., 21, 248, 1908; cf. also A. Barlocco, Pathologica, 2, 195; abstracted 

 in Jahresber. f. Tierchem., 40, 887, 1910. 



33 F. Miiller, Verb, des 20. Kong. f. innere Med., 1902, 192; 0. Simon, 

 Deutsch. Arch. f. klin. Med., 70, 604, 1901. 



