PROTEIN FEVER 407 



molecule, which is large and complex. By the chemical 

 process it is obtained as a less complex, more diffusible, and 

 consequently more active body. Between the two there 

 are probably several intermediate substances. The prompt- 

 ness in action manifested by all proteolytic ferments is 

 determined, in part at least, by the proportion between the 

 surface of the substrate and the mass. We observed some 

 years ago 1 that the more finely divided the cellular sub- 

 stance of bacteria is, the smaller the dose which proves 

 fatal. This is due to the greater surface exposure, and the 

 same apparently holds good for colloids in solution. When 

 soluble proteins are expelled from the blood and diffused 

 throughout the animal body, the conditions for their rapid 

 cleavage are most favorable, and consequently the fulmina- 

 ting phenomena observed after the second injection into 

 a sensitized animal. 



When a protein deposited in mass is rapidly acted upon 

 by the parenteral enzymes, more or less marked inflamma- 

 tion results. This may be demonstrated by injecting sus- 

 pended, dead, bacterial cellular substance into the peritoneal 

 cavity of a guinea-pig when a diffuse peritonitis results, 

 and we wish to suggest that the exanthems are due to the 

 rapid digestion of proteins deposited in the skin. We admit 

 that this is largely theoretical, but we have found, as already 

 stated, that egg-white is in part deposited in the skin of 

 rabbits after intravenous injection. This may be an 

 explanation of the Arthus phenomenon. 



The fact that every protein molecule contains a poisonous 

 group does not mean that the products of protein digestion 

 must contain a poison, for the poison itself may be split up 

 and rendered inert, as happens when the proteins in the 

 alimentary canal are broken up into amino-acids. It may 

 therefore happen that in certain forms or stages of parenteral 

 digestion no poison is formed. 



The low temperature seen in some of our charts 

 undoubtedly indicates the liberation of the poisonous 



1 Trans. Assoc. Amer. Phys., 1902. 



