THE IDENTITY OF ANTITOXIN. 655 



in the adrenal system, each one is found to occupy a distinct 

 place, as a specific agency. And toxins do not differ from them. 

 This brings us back to the identity of the process through 

 which the pathogenic toxins are antagonized. Stimulation of 

 the adrenal system and its normal consequence, leucocytogene- 

 sis, which involves an increase of phagocytes and alexins in 

 the blood to destroy bacteria, adequately fulfilling the re- 

 quired bactericidal functions, to what organ can we ascribe the 

 formation of the principle which destroys bacterial toxins? 



TRYPSIN AS THE TOXIN-DESTROYING AGENT. 



We have previously referred to the identity of toxins, 

 venoms, vegetable poisons, etc., as albuminoid bodies: a fact 

 which at once suggests that we have in trypsin a potent toxin- 

 destroying agent. To indicate the overwhelming importance 

 in the organism which trypsin must fulfill, if our views are 

 sound, and to further affirm the identity of these toxins as 

 albuminoids, the following selections from the pen of a master 

 in physiological chemistry, Professor Armand Gautier, 33 are 

 submitted: 



"CLASSIFICATION OF THE IMMEDIATE DERIVATIVES OF 

 ALBUMINOID SUBSTANCES. We will divide into four classes 

 the nitrogenous derivatives between protoplasmic proteids and 

 urea, the simplest term of the nitrogenous-body series. The 

 following four classes represent, in their actual order, the vari- 

 ous steps of cellular disassimilation: 



"First class: Proteid derivatives of tissue albuminoids. 

 Peptones toxalbumins or toxins. 

 Diastases and soluble ferments. 

 Venoms and vaccines. 

 Pigments. 



"Second class: Amid bodies. 

 Complex amids. 

 Fatty-acid amids. 

 Tyrosin. 

 Amids containing sulphur. 



88 Armaiid Gautier: "Chimie de la Cellule vivante," pp. 102 et seq. 



