44 PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES 



From the physical point of view the transformation consists 

 of a series of successive passages from the state of colloidal 

 solution to the state of coagulum and from this latter to the 

 state of crystalloid solution. 



From the chemical point of view, judging by experiments in 

 vitro the disintegration of colloids and the liberation of mole- 

 cules takes place by a binding of amines and the fixation of 

 bases by oxyhydrate radicals. 



From the physiological point of view, the formation of 

 coagula may cause intravascular and intracellular disturb- 

 ances because in the blood, the reactions are rapid and sud- 

 den. In the interior of cells reactions may be also violent 

 but take place only after a longer or shorter incubation 

 period. 



When at the end of these transformations, the molecule 

 of arsenobenzene has fixed to itself substances for which it 

 has an affinity, it becomes neutral for the organism and is 

 eliminated. 



In a word, the processes are of exactly the same sequence and 

 of the same nature as those ivhich an albumin undergoes when 

 submitted to digestion. 



Digestion has no other effect than to liberate molecules of 

 amino acids. By certain substitutions of unsatisfied bonds, 

 these molecules are rebound by certain lateral chains to form 

 colloidal aggregates. It is very probable that these chains 

 which vary infinitely, constitute the specificity of albumins 

 and of antigens in general and that antibodies are thus noth- 

 ing else than the substances of the organism which replace 

 the chains and bind the affinities of the amino groups. 



