ANTIBODY 107 



functional disturbances (tuberculosis), increases the diges- 

 tive capacity of the organism for the corresponding antigen, 

 but at the time renders the digestion more rapid and more 

 tumultuous and one of two different processes may then 

 take place: 



In the first, digestion takes place at one time and the 

 antigen, transformed to an assimilable or eliminable product, 

 becomes completely neutral to the organism. The antibody- 

 antigen compound produces no disturbances at all: diph- 

 theria, tetanus, non-antigenic colloids. 



In the second, digestion takes place in two successive 

 phases: first, coagulation and second, dissolution of the 

 coagulum. Here the sudden formation of the coagulum will 

 produce immediate or delayed pathologic manifestations 

 whenever the quantity of antigen is greater than the capacity 

 for the rapid dissolution of the coagulum: septicemia and 

 heterologous albumins. 



8. All the pathologic symptoms caused by an antigen which 

 are manifested in the organism at the time when it contains 

 corresponding antibody in excess are anaphylactic in nature. 

 A crisis of anaphylaxis is nothing but a crisis of indigestion. 

 The disturbances are produced by a sudden rupture of the 

 normal equilibrium between the state of gel and the state of 

 sol of those colloids which enter into the composition of cells 

 and blood. 



The severity of the disturbance produced by these reactions 

 is determined by : 



(a) The quantities and relative proportions of the reacting 

 substances. 



(6) The concentration of these substances and in conse- 

 quence the duration of the reaction. 



(c) The intracellular and intravascular localization of 

 lesions. 



(d) The secondary and often delayed effect of these lesions 

 on the general economy. 



In the spontaneous infectious diseases, intravascular reac- 

 tions are always less dangerous than intracellular reactions 

 because these latter often result in the destruction of cells and 

 consequently in lesions of the tissues which are severe and 



