THE ADRENAL SYSTEM AND ANTITOXIC SERUM. 649 



All this evidence, in addition to the many kindred facts 

 already adduced, seems to us to conclusively show that the ox- 

 idizing substance is a prophylactic agency which converts certain 

 toxics, especially products of metabolism, into ~benign and elimi- 

 nable substances, by submitting them to an oxidation process. 



This constitutes a continuous and physiological immuniz- 

 ing function. Its inhibition explains various pathological proc- 

 esses gout, for instance, and accounts for the action of cer- 

 tain remedies iodide of potassium upon this and other dis- 

 eases. The suprarenal overactivity induced by the physiological 

 stimulant of the anterior pituitary: i.e., thyro-io&ine, stands 

 here as the curative agency by correspondingly enhancing oxi- 

 dation. Still, the role of the oxidizing substance as a protective 

 agency is far more marked when its position as a stimulant for 

 all functions of the organism is borne in mind! Indeed, as such, 

 the oxidizing substance becomes a most important constituent 

 of antitoxin. 



Interpreted in this manner it is clear that the antitoxic 

 action of the oxidizing substance should be greatest when in- 

 troduced into the system before the inroads of the disease have 

 become too great: i.e., while the several organs are still pos- 

 sessed of their recuperative powers. This characterizes the 

 use of antitoxin, as is well known, in diphtheria and tetanus. 

 Levy and Klemperer 28 refer to the researches of Donitz, which 

 show, "in a conclusive manner," according to these authors, 

 "that the amount of serum necessary for curative purposes 

 is the greater the longer the period of time that has elapsed 

 between the intoxication and the institution of serum-therapy. 

 Eight minutes after tetanus intoxication six times as much 

 serum is required in order to save the animal as when the 

 serum is injected immediately after the poison. After an hour 

 the curative dose is twenty-four times the original dose; and 

 so on, until finally a period is reached at which it is entirely 

 impossible to save the animal, even with the largest amount 

 of the most active serum." It is hardly necessary now to more 

 than refer to the underlying cause of the gradual decline: the 

 rapidly increasing insufficiency of the adrenal system, and a 



28 Levy and Klemperer: "Clinical Bacteriology," second edition, translated 

 by A. A. Eshner. 



