RICINE. 199 



And in support of the view that the haptophore groups are 

 actually identical, and that ricine is thus an individual haptine, 

 though of complex structure, we have, above all, the fact that 

 the antitoxic and anti-agglutinating action remain just the same 

 after the treatment with pepsin, and the results of immunising 

 experiments with ricine devoid of agglutinine (vide supra). In 

 the case of hap tines that were undoubtedly distinct, such as, e.g., 

 tetanospasmine and tetanolysine, EHRLICH was unable to observe 

 any trace of such a parallelism. 



On the other hand, much can also be said against their 

 identity, so that the question cannot yet be regarded as definitely 

 settled. But if we grant their identity commercial ricine must 

 consist of the complex groupings represented in the diagram 



toxophore W^^ agglutinophore 



haptophore 



and also of toxoids, either without any ergophore group, 1 or with 

 only the agglutinating group thus 



These are eliminated by pepsin, possibly with the formation 

 of toxoids with groupings in this form 



Fresh ricine, like diphtheria poison, appears to contain less 

 toxoids, for according to JACOBY, Merck's preparation gradually 

 decreases in its activity. 



In addition to these bodies, which we are obliged to regard as 

 pro- or syn-toxoids, there appear to be also toxones of ricine, 

 though JACOBY has not touched upon this point ; at least this 

 conclusion can be drawn from the ratios of D (L + - L ) given 



1 This is really the more probable ; it is difficult to conceive that there 

 should be toxoids containing such a sensitive group as the agglutinophore 

 group. This question, however, is of quite secondary importance. 



