248 DfJFEXSE AGAINST NON-ANTIOENW POISONS 



inorganic i)ois()ns in the body, oxidation, reduction, and splitting off 

 of tvater; neutralization of acids or alkalies and the formation of al- 

 buminates and sulphides being included under the last heading, since 

 in these reactions the splitting off of water is an essential step. 



ORGANIC POISONS 



In the case of organic poisons an equally small number of primary 

 reactions is em])loyed in their detoxication, but in more complicated 

 manners and condjinations corresponding with the complexity of 

 organic compounds. 



Oxidation, which has already been mentioned as a means of de- 

 struction of bacterial toxins, is naturally one of the most effective 

 agents in the destruction of simpler organic substances, since the 

 ordinary decomposition of all organic food-stuifs is through oxidation. 

 There are numbers of specific examples of the conversion of a poisonous 

 into a less poisonous or non-poisonous substance by oxidation. All 

 acids of the fatty acid series are oxidized vigorouslj^ in the body, 

 eventually into COg and H^O ; and occasionally pathologically pro- 

 duced oxalic, acetic and lactic acids are destroyed in this way. The 

 liver contains an oxidase destroying alcohol, which is not increased in 

 the livers of animals made tolerant to alcohol (J. Hirsch).-^ Uric 

 acid is oxidized vigorously by many organs, as are other members of 

 the purine series, such as caffeine and theobromine. Presumably oxi- 

 dation of organic poisons as well as of food-stuffs is brought about by 

 the oxidizing enz,ymes of the cells, as shown by Ehrlich's indophenol 

 reaction, which consists of the oxidation of paraphenylene diamine 

 and a-naphthol, with a resulting synthesis. This reaction is said by 

 Lillie " to occur principally in and about the cell nuclei or cell mem- 

 branes. 



Combination, with or without Preliminary Oxidation, — Oxida- 

 tion is also an essential preliminar.y step to many of the protecting com- 

 binations, in which a cell constituent is united to an organic poison. 

 The most important of these combining substances are : 



1. Sulphuric Acid. — One of the earliest and most impoi'tant observa- 

 tions on tlie jjrotective action of sulphuric acid was made by Baumann 

 and Herter,-- who showed that phenol is eliminate*! as a potassium 

 salt of the sulphuric acid derivative, as follows: 



('„II,()Tr + TTO-S(\t\ = r„Tl,p-SO,l\ + Il,(). 



a reaction that has been put to practical use in treating phenol jioison- 

 ing. As phenol and cresols are produced constantly in intestinal de- 

 composition, this reaction is uiuloubtedly of great service, since the salt 

 foi-med is relatively hariidcss. Indole and skatolc are similarly de- 



21 Bioclicin. /('it., line. (771. 129. 



22 Zi-it. i)liysi()l. Cliciii.. 1S77 (1). 247. 



