406 COLLECTED STUDIES IN IMMUNITY. 



possessed a curare-like action. Since that time a large number of 

 ammonium bases derived from the most varied alkaloids have been 

 investigated, most all of which showed the same action. The final 

 step was achieved only recently when Bohm showed that curarin is 

 itself an ammonium base. He found that the curares contain a 

 tertiary alkaloid, curin, which is of slight toxicity. If this curin 

 w r as subjected to methylation an ammonium base was formed which 

 corresponded completely in properties and actions with the natural 

 curarin, but was about 260 times as toxic as the original substance. 

 Since this time these questions have been studied on many different 

 combinations by a large number of investigators, among whom 

 may be mentioned Nencki, Jaff^, Filehne, Mering, Brunton, Brieger, 

 Gibbs, and Aronson. I cannot, however, go into details and must 

 confine myself to giving a short epitome of what has been done in 

 the development of synthetic remedies. 



First in importance are the artificial antipyretics, of which the 

 main types are the antipyrin series and the phenacetin series. The 

 history of the origin of these two groups is absolutely unlike. In 

 one case the starting-point was the fact that quinine contains a 

 hydrated chinolin derivative; by means of simpler combinations it 

 was attempted to obtain the same end. Finally, after chinolin, 

 kairin and thallin had proved of such little value, antipyrin was 

 obtained and found most useful. The second group, which includes 

 phenacetin and its numerous relatives, owes its discovery not to 

 theoretical speculations but to a coincidence, the result of an error. 



Of the other therapeutic agents the discovery of the hypnotic 

 action of sulfonal by Baumann has proven of great practical and 

 theoretical significance. The same holds true of the production of 

 the new anaesthetics (orthoform and eucain), which was closely con- 

 nected with the discovery of the constitution of cocaine. In recent 

 years efforts are constantly being made to do away with the by- 

 effects possessed by certain remedies, such as guaiacol and formal- 

 dehyd. These efforts, first undertaken by Nencki, seek by means 

 of suitable combinations and cleavages to give rise to a gradual 

 liberation of the active component. While of great practical value 

 they have but little interest in the question concerning the connection 

 between constitution and action. 



When now we come to inquire what conclusions we can draw 

 from the study of the large number of therapeutic agents, which now 

 embrace many hundreds of different remedies, conclusions which 



