564 ABNORMALITIES IX METABOLISM 



pears to be absorbed from the burned area into the blood, for if the 

 circulation is shut off from the burned area, no intoxication results; 

 this probably explains in part why deep destructive bums of small 

 areas, which are associated with local thrombosis, are much less seri- 

 ous than a superficial slight scalding over a large area. Apparently 

 the poison is produced chiefly or solely in the skin, for burning of 

 muscle is not followed by intoxication (Eijkman and Hoogenhuyze).'- 

 AVhen one of a pair of animals united to another by operative pro- 

 cedure (parabiosis) is burned, the other animal may become intoxi- 

 cated, while the intoxication of the burned animal is less than it 

 would be if it were alone (Vogt). 



Numerous investigators have reported finding poisonous sub- 

 stances in the blood, tissues, or urine of burned men and animals, but 

 the reports disagree widely in details.'^ Thus Dietrichs states that 

 the blood of burned animals contains hemolysins and hemao:glutinins, 

 which could not be corroborated by Burkhardt ^* or b}^ Pfeiffer/' 

 The latter, however, finds that the urine, serum, and organs of burned 

 animals contain substances poisonous for the same and for dififerent 

 species, which is in accord with the results of numerous earlier inves- 

 tigators. The poisons, according to Pfeiffer, are neurotoxic and necro- 

 genic in their properties, and act without a period of incubation ; 

 they are rapidly w^eakened on standing in solution and by the action 

 of sunlight, are absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract, are soluble 

 in water, alcohol, and glycerol, but not in chloroform or ether, are 

 precipitated by HgCL in acid solution, and by phosphotungstic acid, 

 and they are not volatile. Apparently, according to Pfeiffer. they 

 are not ptomains, nor yet pyridine derivatives, as many investigators 

 have contended, but resemble more closely the labile poisons of snake 

 venom, and have effects similar to the unknown poisons that are con- 

 cerned in uremia. The neurotoxic substance is more thermostable 

 than the necrogenic substance, which is very easily destroyed by heat. 

 Pfeiffer believes it probable that the poisons are derived from the 

 cleavage of proteins altered in composition by burning, and he finds 

 an enzyme splitting glj'cyltryptophane in the blood and urine of 

 burned animals."'"' The hemolysis he attributes to direct injury of 

 the blood in its passage through the heated area, and not to the action 

 of poisons ; this is very possible, since red corpuscles fragment after 

 being heated to 52°, and may be seriously impaired functionally at 

 45°. There are many authors, indeed, who consider tlie blood changes 



T2Vircl)o\v's Arch., 1900 (183), 377. 



7:! Kavcnna and ^Tiiiassian ( IJcf. in Tiioc-honi. C'(>Mtr.. 1003 (IK 34S ) stato tliat 

 blood heated outside tlie body to .'ir)°-60° is toxic, and causes the same anatomical 

 chan<,'es as does death from l)\irning, vhicli findinff is corroborated bv ireisted. 

 Arch. klin. riiir., lOOfi (70), 414. 



74 Arch. klin. f'hir., 1005 (7r)), S4.'i. 



75 Virehow's Arch.. 1005 (ISO), 3(i7: Zeit. f. Ilyg., lOOG (54). 419. 

 75aZeit. Tmmuniliit., 1015 (23), 473. 



