The "Lateral-chain Theory" of Immunity 139 



This very specific nature of the affinity between toxin and 

 cell is the necessary preliminary and cause of the toxicity 

 itself. Further, our theory makes it easy to understand the 

 long-lasting character of the immunity produced by one or 

 several administrations of toxin, and also the fact that the 

 organism reacts to relatively small quantities of toxin by 

 the production of very much greater quantities of anti- 

 toxin." By the act of immunization, certain cells of the 

 organism become converted into cells secreting antitoxin at 

 the same rate as this is excreted. New quantities of anti- 

 toxin are constantly produced and so throughout a long 

 period the antitoxin content of the serum remains nearly 

 constant. The secretory nature of the formation of anti- 

 toxins has been very strikingly illustrated by the beautiful 

 experiments of Salmonson and Madsen, who have shown 

 that pilocarpine, which augments the secretion of most 

 glands, also occasions in immunized animals a rapid increase 

 in the antitoxin content of the serum." 



"The production of antitoxins must, in keeping with our 

 theory, be regarded as a function of the haptophore group of 

 the toxin, and it is easy therefore to understand why, out of 

 the great number of alkaloids, none are in a position to 

 cause the production of antitoxins. Conversely, indeed, 

 I recognize in this incapacity of the alkaloids, in opposition 

 to the toxins, to produce antitoxins, a further and salient 

 proof of the truth of the deduction I have previously based 

 on chemical grounds, that the alkaloids possess no haptophore 

 group which anchors them to the cells of organs. To formu- 

 late a general statement, the capacity of a body to" cause the 

 production of antitoxin stands in inseparable connection 

 with the presence of a haptophore atomic group. In the 

 formation of antitoxin the toxophore group of the toxin 

 molecule is, on the contrary, of absolutely no moment. But 

 the toxoid modification of the toxins, in which the hapto- 

 phore group of the toxin is retained, while the toxophore 

 group has ceased to be active, possesses the property of pro- 

 ducing antitoxins. Indeed, in some cases of extremely 

 susceptible animals, immunity can only be attained by 

 means of the toxoid s, and not by the too strongly acting 

 toxins." .... "The symptoms of illness due to the 

 action of the toxophore group, therefore, play no part in the 

 production of antitoxin." The effect of enzymes upon the 

 organism with the production of an ti- bodies, and the "specific 



