68 POISONOUS PROTEINS 



cination. The vaccine virus is introduced into 

 the child's arm. The proteins of which the vi- 

 rus is composed are distributed in the body and 

 sensitize certain cells. This means that the 

 cells develop a ferment which destroys the vac- 

 cine virus and the new function developed in 

 these cells by their first experience with the 

 smallpox protein in its attenuated form con- 

 tinues in the possession of the cells for years. 

 When the vaccinated person is exposed to small- 

 pox the virus of the disease is destroyed before 

 it has time to multiply and consequently the in- 

 dividual is protected from the disease. Please 

 understand that I am not ready to give up 

 the theory of the formation of specific pro- 

 teases. I see no other explanation of the im- 

 munity conferred by vaccination or by one at- 

 tack of the disease. However, in presenting 

 this matter I wish to proceed without being in- 

 fluenced by preconceived ideas, and I wish to 

 repeat that the idea of a nonspecific protein di- 

 gestion in anaphylactic shock especially has 

 much in its favor, both in fact and in theory. 

 The poison developed in anaphylactic shock 

 may not come from the protein of the reinjec- 

 tion and the protease developed in sensitiza- 

 tion may not be specific. Anaphylactic shock 

 may be due wholly to the unmasking of a non- 



