102 ENZYMES 



eases, such as typhoid and septicemia. Schumni noted great auto- 

 lytic activity in a swollen spleen from a case of perityphlitis. 



Histological chajigos are produced by autolysis in the organs after 

 death that are, as might be expected, much like those seen in necrotic 

 areas.^^ At first the changes resemble those of parenchymatous de- 

 generation (cloudy swelling), and often there is an apparent increase 

 in fat. which is probably due to liberation of masked fat through 

 the destruction of the protein.^- Nuclear staining is lost (karyolysis), 

 and eventually even cell forms become indistinguishable, but this does 

 not ordinarily become comi)lete in autolysis without bacterial com- 

 plication. (See p. 1)9 on chcmiral changes of postmortem autolysis.) 



Still-born children that have been carried for some time after death 

 usually show considerable disintegration of the viscera, especially the 

 liver. This is undoubtedly due to autolysis, which Schlesinger ^^ has 

 shown can begin before birth if the fetus dies /;( utcro. 



Autolysis in Relation to Infection. — According to Conradi ^* the 

 substances produced in tissue autolysis have a decided inhibiting effect 

 upon bacteria, which apparently depends upon the antiseptic proper- 

 ties of the aromatic derivatives that are split out of the protein mole- 

 cule in autolysis. This action is manifested not only in vitro, but the 

 autolytic products will also render harmless lethal doses of certain 

 bacteria if they are injected simultaneously with the bacteria into an 

 animal. One specific class of products of autolysis which is strongly 

 bactericidal is the soaps.^^ It may well be questioned, however, 

 whether enough of these substances ever accumulates in infected 

 tissues during intra vitam autolysis to have much effect upon the in- 

 fecting bacteria; yet this property may possibly explain the steriliza- 

 tion of old pus collections and similar infected accumulations within 

 the body. The bacteria themselves also produce autolytic products 

 that are powerfully bactericidal. (See "Bacteria," Chap, iv.) 



Blum ^^ found that the autolytic products of lymph-glands neu- 

 tralized tetanus toxin, but were inactive against diphtheria toxin and 

 cobra venom. Products from other autolyzed organs and from fresh 

 lymph-glands were without influence on the tetanus toxin. The anti- 

 toxic principles of the autolytic product were destroyed by heating, 

 weakened by acids and alkalies, and in other respects showed prop- 

 erties strikingly like those of true antitoxin. It is quite possible that 

 bacterial toxins may be destroyed by autolytic enzymes, for Baldwin 



11 More fully discussed liy Wells. .Tour. Mod. Kesearcli, 1006 (15). 149. 



laSit'frert ( llofmeistor's Beitr., 1901 (1), 114) found no actual increase in fats 

 and fatty acids in atifolysia even wlien an increase was api)arent histolopicallv, 

 altliou;rli ether-solnlile materials of other nature than fat may be increased. See 

 als() 11 ess and Sa\l. Xircliow's Arch., 1910 (202), 149. 



13 llofmeister's Reitr., 1903 (4), 87. 



1* IlofmeisU'r's Heitr., 1901 (1), 19.'?. See also Bilancioni 'Wn and Alnui'na srb 



15 Se<' Lamar, Jour. Kxp. Jled., 1911 (13), 1 



lollofmeister's Heitr., 1904 '5i, 142. 



