60 TOXINES AND ANTITOXINES. 



toxine and free antitoxine are both present. DANYSZ J has 

 described this, and has based upon it absolutely untenable 

 speculations similar to those of BORDET. We shall return to 

 the facts when we are dealing with ricine. But we must never 

 forget, as EHRLICH is fully justified in repeatedly insisting, that 

 in these weak combinations a very important part is played by 

 the time of reciprocal contact as well as by the concentration. 

 Thus if too short a time be allowed for the reaction it is possible 

 to draw an erroneous conclusion of a too high degree of concen- 

 tration. Hence, when EISENBERG brings forward as a proof the 

 separation of snake poison from its antitoxine at higher tem- 

 peratures, it must not be forgotten that, according to MARTIN and 

 CHERRY, this separation, which involves the secondary breaking 

 down of the antitoxine, is only possible for a very short time 

 after the admixture. 



Lastly, a caution must be given against over-estimation of the 

 influence of mass action as regards other haptines. Contrary to 

 the views of EISENBERG, who concludes that conditions of 

 unstable equilibrium are the rule with agglutinines and pre- 

 cipitines, v. DuNGERN 2 shows that such conditions are quite 

 exceptional, and that, in general, the combination of the pre- 

 cipitine with the precipitable substance is complete and stable. 

 In explanation of the quantitative ratios he concludes that there 

 is a plurality of precipitines, which is quite analogous to the 

 views of EHRLICH. 



Heat Manifestation of the Action of Toxine upon Antitoxine. 

 With the aid of VAN T' HOFF'S formula 



d log nat K W 



dt ~ 1-99T 2 



ARRHENIUS and MADSEN were able to calculate from the altera- 

 tion in the dissociation constant, K, the amount of heat liberated 

 in the combination of 1 grm. molecule of toxine with 1 grm. 

 molecule of antitoxine. 



This value is equal to 6,600 cals. (with a possible error of 

 600 cals.). The evolution of heat is almost half as great as that 

 liberated on neutralising a strong base with a strong acid. 



Vigorous discussion as to the bearing of the law of mass action upon the 

 relations between the toxine and antitoxine still continues. The more 



1 Danysz, " Contrib. & I'e'tude des propr. des melanges des toxines avec 

 leur antitox.," Ann. Past., xvi., 331, 1902. 



2 v. Dungern, " Bindungsverh. bei d. Pracipitinreaktion," Centralbl. f. 

 Sakt. f xxxiv., 355, 1903. 



