IMMUNITY AND ANTITOXINS 243 



membrane the bacillus appears to secrete a ferment which 

 by its action and interaction with the body cells and pro- 

 teids, chiefly those of the spleen, produces albumoses and an 

 organic acid. These latter bodies are the toxins. They 

 are absorbed, and pass throughout the body. There are 

 albumoses, therefore we get the frequent pulse and high 

 temperature of fever; the toxins irritate the mucous mem- 

 brane of the intestine, and cause various fermentative 

 changes in the contents of the intestine, therefore we get 

 the symptoms of diarrhoea; they penetrate the liver, spleen, 

 and kidney, therefore we get fatty degeneration and its re- 

 sults in these organs; they finally affect many of the motor 

 and sensory nerves, breaking up their axis cylinders into 

 globules, and therefore we get the characteristic paralysis. 

 Loss of weight naturally follows many of these degenerative 

 or wasting changes. Here, then, we have some of the chief 

 changes set up by the toxins, and these changes consti- 

 tute the leading symptoms in the disease as it is known 

 clinically. 



In addition to the presence of the specific bacillus in the 

 membrane, we also have a number of other organisms, like 

 the Bacillus coli, Coccus Brissou, Streptococcus pyogenes, and 

 various staphylococci, diplococci, etc. Each of these pro- 

 duces or endeavours in the midst of keen competition and 

 strife to produce, its own specific effect. Thus we obtain 

 the complications of diphtheria, for example various sup- 

 purative and septic conditions. The whole of this com- 

 pound process we may tabulate roughly as follows ' : 



1 It should be distinctly understood that this table is merely schematic and 

 provisional. The details of toxin production and its effect are still open to 

 revision and amendment. 



