128 TOXINES AND ANTITOXINES. 



toxine already in the system for a period of twelve hours after 

 its introduction. These properties distinguish the action of the 

 substance of the central nervous system from that of certain 

 simpler chemical substances, which, while equally combining 

 with the botulism poison in vitro, completely lack its immunising 

 and curative capacity. Examples of such substances are lecithin 

 and cholesterin, but not cerebrin. This property of the brain 

 substance is destroyed by boiling. 



According to CHARRIN and BARDiER, 1 it also acts as a heart 

 poison. It retards the action of the heart, and acts more rapidly 

 than diphtheria poison in this respect. 



KEMPNER S subsequently prepared an antitoxic serum against 

 botulo-toxine by the immunisation of goats. The antitoxine acts 

 in accordance with the law of multiples. It can, however, only 

 have any curative effect when used within twelve hours ; the 

 dyspnceic form in particular is asserted by FORSSMAN to lie in- 

 capable of cure. The practicability of the treatment is therefore 

 as doubtful here as in the case of tetanus. 



PYOCYANEUS TOXINE. 



Bacillus pyocyaneus, which is very pathogenic for many 

 animals, also produces a true toxine. The poisonous action of 

 this toxine has frequently been investigated, as have also the 

 phenomena of immunity that result on its introduction into 

 the bodies of animals. There are also numerous researches on 

 the " toxicity " of B. pyocyaneus in scientific literature, in which 

 naturally no distinction was made between the poisonous effects 

 of the cells and of the filtrate. 3 Essentially, however, immunity 

 against B. pyocyaneus is bactericidal ; no antidote to the poison 

 is produced in immune bodies, but the bacilli themselves perish 

 under the influence of a specific agent directed against them. 

 Here, then, we meet with conditions similar to those that occur 

 in typhus and cholera, with which we shall deal in a later page. 



The conditions differ, however, from those of cholera in one 

 essential particular. Whilst in that disease the supposed toxine 

 can only be separated very sparingly from the vibriones, and, in 



1 Charrin and Bardier, " Action cardiaque, propri^te speciale de la 

 botuline," Soc. BioL, 1., 60, 1898. 



2 Kempner, " Weit. Beitr. zur Lehre von der Fleischvergiftung," Zeit.f. 

 ffyg., xx vi., 481, 1897. 



3 The most important literature on the subject is given by Breymann, 

 "Ueb. Stoffwechselprod. des B. pyocyaneus," Centralbl. f. Bah., xxxi., 

 841, 1902. 



